Given the question: Facts:   - language: english      - awards: john award -lrb- 1998 -rrb- encore award -lrb- 2000 -rrb- llewellyn rhys prize -lrb- 1997 -rrb- betty trask    - birth date: 1966    - name: phil whitaker    - occupation: novelist    - website: -lsb- http://www.philwhitaker.co.uk philwhitaker.co.uk -rsb-    - alma mater: university anglia of nottingham university of oxford university of east   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of phil whitaker .
The answer is:
phil j. whitaker -lrb- born 1966 -rrb- is a british novelist and physician .he qualified in medicine at the university of nottingham in 1990 , and the university of oxford where he undertook postgraduate training in general practice .he also completed a ma in creative writing at the university of east anglia in 1996 .his debut novel eclipse of the sun received the 1997 john llewellyn rhys prize and the 1998 betty trask award , and was shortlisted for the 1997 whitbread first novel award .his second novel triangulation won the 2000 encore award .he also writes for the new statesman .