Alex Gerlis is an English author and journalist, best known for his spy novels such as "The Berlin Spies" and "The Swiss Spy." Born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in 1955, Gerlis went on to study Law and Politics at Hull University, graduating in 1977. His professional journey began as a political researcher and journalist before he joined the BBC in 1983 as a researcher on the program Panorama.
Over the next two decades, Gerlis worked on various BBC News and Current Affairs programs, including documentaries for The Money Programme and election programs with David Dimbleby and Jeremy Paxman. He also held prominent positions such as editing Breakfast News, the One o'Clock News, the Six o'Clock News, and the Weekend News for the BBC. Gerlis's career with the BBC took him to various parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, the Middle East, China, and Northern Ireland, where he covered significant events such as the Omagh bomb in 1998 and the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001. From 2005 to 2011, Gerlis served as the Head of Training at the BBC College of Journalism, overseeing the training of the corporation's 7,500 journalists.
Gerlis's first novel was inspired by his work covering the 50th anniversary of D-Day from Normandy. His writing focuses on spy novels, and he has established himself as a respected author in the genre. Gerlis is married and has two daughters. He currently resides in west London.