Mervyn Coreno Peake (1911 - 1968) - English writer, poet, playwright and artist, author of brilliant illustrations for “Treasure Island”, “Alice in Wonderland” and for his own works. As a writer, the “Gormenghast” trilogy brought him real fame - a picturesque and exciting narrative that paradoxically combines the traditions of Dickens and Kafka. His hero, born as the ruler of a fantastic castle, whose whole life is subordinated to the letter of an ancient ritual, desperately strives to break out of the closed static space of stone walls , mutilating the lives and souls of their captives. For this book, Mervyn Peake was awarded the British Royal Society of Literature Prize.