Rob Sprackling is an experienced screenwriter and an award winning writer/director. Along with his writing partner John Smith, he wrote the original screenplay for the animated Disney feature film Gnomeo & Juliet. It was the number one movie at the box office in the UK and US , taking nearly $200 million worldwide. The film was short-listed for an animation Oscar and a BAFTA and Rob was nominated for an Annie (animation s highest honour) for best screenplay. Rob also wrote the original screenplay for the hit British comedy movie Mike Bassett: England Manager and the TV series spin off, Mike Bassett: Manager. He was lead writer on the BAFTA nominated children s TV series Muddle Earth, and co-wrote the forthcoming animated movie Why I Did (Not) Eat My Father, for the producers of the Oscar winning, Belleville Rendezvous. He is currently writing a new feature film for Aardman Animation called Village Idiot and the movie sequel to the Mike Bassett franchise Mike Bassett: Interim Manager. Born Again Ben is Rob’s first novel. He has sold the film rights to Hollywood producer Peter Safran and Andrew Adamson (writer/ director of Shrek and Shrek 2) who are currently developing Born Again Ben as an animated movie. Rob is married with two children and lives in West London.