Nicholas St Aubyn is the direct descendant of the Bassets, the Godolphins and the Seyntaubins whom he writes about with such conviction.  The family seat is now St Michael's Mount, a focal point of the narrative.

Born in 1955, he won a scholarship to Oxford, before embarking on a versatile career, leading him from downtown Soweto, to uptown Manhattan from a trading floor in the City, to a trading estate in Redruth.

During many years in Cornwall, between farming and business ventures, he stood for Parliament three times, including the County's only by-election in a lifetime, before serving as MP for Guildford. He is currently Chairman of the Arab British Centre, a charity to promote cultural awareness.

Custom of the County is Nicholas' first novel.  An early draft was shortlisted for the Winston Graham Prize and he has already embarked on the sequel. He lives with his wife Jane on the Surrey/Sussex border with their five children and two dogs.

"Ask me questions about the history behind the writing,  post a comment or visit the BBC Cornwall website for Martin Baillie's interview with me"