Joe Stretch is a writer, actor, and filmmaker.  His first novel, Friction, was published in 2008. His second novel, Wildlife, was published in 2009.  In 2010 Stretch wrote the first ever Choose Your Own Adventure audio novel to appear on Spotify.[3]  Stretch grew up in Burton-in-Kendal.[5] He studied politics at Manchester University and sings in the band Performance.[6]  He lectures in Creative Writing at Keele University.[7] His third book, The Adult, was released in August 2012 and won the Somerset Maugham Award.