Mark Haddon is an English novelist, poet, and playwright. He is best known for his 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and was adapted into a Tony Award-winning play. Haddon was born in Northampton, England in 1962. He studied English at Merton College, Oxford, and later worked as a freelance illustrator and writer. He wrote several children's books, including The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea, before writing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells the story of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy with autism who investigates the death of his neighbor's dog. The novel was praised for its sensitive and accurate portrayal of autism, and it won numerous awards, including the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Haddon has since written several other novels, including A Spot of Bother, The Red House, and The Pier Falls. He has also written plays, including Polar Bears and The Red Balloon, and he has written and directed several short films. Haddon is an advocate for autism awareness and has spoken at numerous events about his experiences with autism. He is also a patron of the National Autistic Society.