Alan Mahar founded TSFG in 1983, clocking up twenty years before becoming an honorary member. He was from 1998 until 2012 Publishing Director of Tindal Street Press, Birmingham's fiction publisher, which boasted prize-listings for the Man Booker, Costa, Orange and Commonwealth Writers Prizes. He is the author of two novels, Flight Patterns (Golla ncz, 1999) and After the Man Before (Methuen , 2002). Other publications include short stories, reviews and articles for Critical Quarterly, Literary Review, London Magazine, Warwick Review and the Observer. He is now a freelance consultant editor, writer and creative writing lecturer.