Michelle de Kretser was born in Sri Lanka and emigrated to Australia when she was 14. She was educated in Melbourne and Paris. She is the author of five other novels:The Rose Grower,The Hamilton Case,The Lost Dog, which was longlisted for both the Man Booker and the Orange Prize,Questions of Travel, which won several prizes including the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Prime Minister's Literary Award, andThe Life to Come, winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award. She lives in Sydney.