McEwan's works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. He won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976 for his first collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites; the Whitbread Novel Award (1987) and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for The Child in Time; and Germany's Shakespeare Prize in 1999. He has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. His novel Atonement received the WH Smith Literary Award (2002), National Book Critics' Circle Fiction Award (2003), Los Angeles Times Prize for Fiction (2003), and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel (2004). He was awarded a CBE in 2000. In 2006, he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel Saturday and his novel On Chesil Beach was named Galaxy Book of the Year at the 2008 British Book Awards where McEwan was also named Reader's Digest Author of the Year.

McEwan lives in London and is currently writing a new novel. His most recently published work is For You, a libretto.

The nonprofit Edge Foundation in New York has asked leading thinkers to start the New Year 2009 by predicting what will be the next big thing to shape the future. Ian McEwan responds:

THE FULL FLOURISHING OF SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

"Philip Larkin began a poem with the hypothesis, 'If I were called in/ To construct a religion/ I should make use of water'. Instead of water, I would propose the sun, and the religion I have in mind is a rational affair, with enormous aesthetic possibilities and of great utility."

Read the rest of McEwan's response at: www.edge.org

Charles Frieth, preeminent composer, conductor and prodigious womaniser, is preparing for a performance of one of his early works, and the world premiere of "Demonic Aubade". Obstinate and myopic, he is oblivious to the growing turmoil around him; his wife's poor health and dissatisfaction; the exhausted efforts of his secretary; and, the disquieting diligence of his housekeeper, Maria.

As the first performance draws near, the maestro is suddenly awoken to the chaos, and as Charles struggles to regain control of his life, a terrible tragedy begins to unfold. "For You" is a beautifully wrought and compelling libretto - It is Ian McEwan at his very best.

Order a copy online via Vintage, Amazon.co.uk, or from a variety of quality Independent Booksellers.

Atonement
Purchase Atonement online via Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, or from a variety of quality Independent Booksellers.		Purchase York Notes on "Atonement" online from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, BN.com, or a wide selection of high-quality Independent Booksellers.