Nathan Filer is a highly accomplished writer and lecturer in creative writing, currently teaching at Bath Spa University. Born in 1980 in Bristol, Filer attended Ridings High School in South Gloucestershire and went on to study mental health nursing at the University of West of England, graduating in 2002. His experiences as a mental health nurse have significantly influenced his writing, particularly in his exploration of mental health and illness.
In addition to his work as a lecturer, Filer is also a skilled poet and filmmaker. He has performed his stand-up poetry at various festivals and spoken-word events across the UK, and his work has been featured on BBC 3 television and radio 4, 7, and 5 Live. Filer has also received recognition for his filmmaking, earning the title of BBC Best New Filmmaker. He holds an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University and currently resides in Bristol with his partner and their daughter.
Filer's writing has garnered significant acclaim and success. His novel "The Shock of the Fall," which follows the life of a young man grieving the loss of his brother, has sold over half a million copies in the UK, was a Sunday Times bestseller, and has been translated into thirty languages. The book has won numerous awards, including The Costa Book of the Year, The Betty Trask Prize, The National Book Award for Popular Fiction, and The Writers' Guild Award for Best First Novel.
Filer has also written a book of non-fiction, "The Heartland" (also published as "This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health"), which was a Sunday Times Book of the Year and longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize. The charity, Rethink Mental Illness, named it as one of their 'Mental Health Books of the Decade'. Filer has contributed to various publications, including the Guardian, New York Times, and HuffPost. He has also created a BBC radio 4 documentary, "The Mind in the Media," which explores portrayals of mental illness in fiction and journalism. Filer is currently a Reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.