Sean is an award-winning novelist and short story writer, winner of the Saltire prize for novel of the year, the Manchester Fiction Prize, the Fish Short Story Prize and runner-up in the Bridport and Tom-Gallon Trust prizes. He has lived in Greece, Pakistan and Egypt, working variously as a gardener, speechwriter and diplomatic official. 

He now lives near Forres in Moray. The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley his debut novel, published in 2022, was shortlisted for the Scottish National Book awards debut of the year and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction.

His second novel, A Woman of Opinion won the Saltire Fiction book of the year in 2025. His new novel, No Place for Us, will be published by Doubleday in Februaruy 2027.