Billy O'Callaghan is the award-winning author of four short story collections and four novels. A lifelong soccer fanatic, he was intrigued by the life of Matthias Sindelar, superstar of the great 1930s Austrian team. The mysterious and sinister nature of Sindelar's death drew O'Callaghan to Vienna where he traced Sindelar's footsteps and visited his grave. From there, he slowly developed the story that became The Paper Man. Winner of the Irish Book Award, and finalist for the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award and COSTA Short Story Award, among other honors, O'Callaghan's work has been translated into many languages. His short stories have appeared in magazines around the world. His most recent novel, Life Sentences, was published by Godine in 2022. O'Callaghan was born in the village of Douglas, Ireland, where he still lives.