Graham Hancock is a British writer and journalist from Edinburgh, born in 1950. He writes on ancient mysteries, stone monuments and megaliths, ancient myths, and astronomical and astrological material from the past. A recurring idea in his work is the possibility of a global “mother culture” from which ancient civilisations develop.

His books include Lords of Poverty, The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis, which is titled The Message of the Sphinx in the US, The Mars Mystery, Heaven’s Mirror, written with his wife Santha Faiia, Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization, and Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith, written with Robert Bauval.

He also writes and presents television documentaries, including Underworld: Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age and Quest for the Lost Civilisation for Channel 4. His books sell more than five million copies worldwide and appear in twenty-seven languages. His work draws criticism from academics, and he says he has no formal training in archaeology, presenting himself as a counterweight to what he sees as the uncritical acceptance of orthodox views.