Paul M.M. Cooper

Paul Cooper was born in South London and grew up in Cardiff, Wales. He was educated at the University of Warwick and the UEA, and after graduating he left for Sri Lanka to work as an English teacher.  Paul has worked as an archivist, editor and journalist, and has a PhD in the cultural and literary significance of ruins. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, The BBC, The Atlantic, National Geographic, New Scientist and Discover Magazine.  His first novel, River of Ink, was published in January 2016, and his second novel, All Our Broken Idols was released in May 2020. His upcoming work of nonfiction, Fall of Civilizations: Stories of Greatness and Decline will be released in April 2024.  He writes, produces and hosts the Fall of Civilizations podcast, which has charted in the top ten British podcasts, and gained upwards of 100 million listens since it launched in 2019.