Ben Aaronovitch

Author

Ben Aaronovitch is a British author best known for the Rivers of London series — a brilliantly inventive blend of police procedural and urban fantasy set in a London where magic is real, officially sanctioned, and frequently dangerous. The series has earned a passionate global readership and made Aaronovitch one of the most original... voices in contemporary fantasy fiction. Born in London in 1964, Aaronovitch grew up in a household steeped in left-wing politics — his parents were prominent members of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Before turning to novels, he built a career in television, most notably as a scriptwriter for Doctor Who in the late 1980s, contributing the stories Remembrance of the Daleks and Battlefield. He also wrote for other television programmes including Jupiter Moon and Casualty. Rivers of London, published in 2011, introduced Peter Grant — a young mixed-race Metropolitan Police constable who discovers he can do magic and is recruited into a secret branch of the Met that deals with supernatural crime. Under the tutelage of the enigmatic Inspector Nightingale, the last officially sanctioned English wizard, Grant navigates a London populated by river goddesses, malevolent ghosts, and ancient powers. The book was a word-of-mouth hit, and the series has grown to include Amongst Our Weapons, Lies Sleeping, and several other novels, as well as novellas and a successful comic book series. What makes the Rivers of London books stand out is Aaronovitch's deep knowledge of and obvious love for London itself. The city is a character in its own right — from Covent Garden to the Folly (Nightingale's Belgravia headquarters) to the literal rivers and their personified spirits. The books are also notable for their warm humour, their diverse and authentically drawn characters, and their ability to blend magic with the mundane realities of modern policing. The audiobook editions, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, are widely regarded as some of the finest in contemporary fiction. Holdbrook-Smith's performance — voicing dozens of characters across multiple accents and backgrounds — has won awards and is considered definitive by fans. Many readers discovered the series through the audiobooks and consider them the ultimate way to experience Peter Grant's London. Ben Aaronovitch continues to expand the Rivers of London universe, and his unique combination of wit, world-building, and love of London shows no sign of running dry. Read more Show less