Known for writing dark, twisted and witty stories, Peter Straughan is an English writer who was an in-residence writer at the Live Theatre Company based in Newcastle. Straughan who aspired to a professional musician was a bass guitarist with the Newcastle-based band named The Honest Johns. He even toured with the band for four years before eventually leaving the band to study at the Newcastle University. He made his writing debut as a screenplay writer for Sixty Six (2006). His other notable writing credits include The Debt (2010), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and The Snowman (2017), a British crime thriller directed by Tomas Alfredson. Apart from writing for films, Straughan has also written for TV series` like Playhouse Parents (2014) and Wolf Hall (2015). His 2019 release includes The Goldfinch, directed by John Crowley.