David Szalay is a novelist and short story writer known for his spare, precise prose and his focus on contemporary European life. He was born in Montréal and grew up across several countries, including the United Kingdom and Lebanon, before settling in Britain. He later studied at the University of Oxford and worked in various jobs, including sales, before becoming a full-time writer.

Szalay is best known for novels such as London and the South-East (2008), All That Man Is (2016), and Turbulence (2018). His work often explores themes of masculinity, alienation, globalization, and emotional disconnection in modern life. All That Man Is was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and his later novel Flesh won the Booker Prize in 2025.

His writing style is noted for its economy, realism, and structure, often using interconnected stories or fragmented narratives to build a broader portrait of contemporary society. Szalay is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in modern literary fiction.