Ayako Miura 1922-1999

Ayako Miura was born in the town of Asahikawa, on Hokkaidō in 1922.

Her debut novel, "Freezing Point", was published in 1963, and defeated many famous writers and won the Asahi Shimbun's Ten Million Yen Award.

By the end of 1964, "Freezing Point" serialized in the Asahi Shimbun for nearly a year, during that period it swept men and women all over Japan, caused readers to read, discuss and resonate. "Freezing Point" was sold stunning 5 million copies and was adapt into movies, television dramas and stage plays several times.

Miura has published numerous works including novels, essays and memories. Many of her novels are considered best-sellers, and a number have been made into movies, radio plays and TV dramas. Her important works include "Freezing Point" series, "Mud Slide Era", "Shiokari Pass", "Hidden Ranges", "Mother," and "Gun Point" and so on. Her works revolve the theme of human sin, and reveal humanitarian care. Miura was awarded the "Hokkaido Development Merit Award" because Hokkaidō are frequently the settings of her novels.

Liao received doctoral degree in Chinese literature in Soochow University, and currently works as professor of Department of Language and Writing, Taipei University of Education, teaching creative writing, film and theater courses. She received Medal of Arts from Chinese Writers' and Artists' Association, Zhongshan Literary and Artistic Creation Award and Wu Lu Qin Restoration Literary Prize for Literature.

Her works includes dozen of essay collection "Not to Believe to Cannot Call Back Tenderness" "Charming", "If the Memory is Like the Wind", "Impolite", "A Teacher Like Me", "Far-sighted Princess", "Down to Earth", and novels "Bet His Life", "Light Blue Bubbles", picture book "Bright", interview transcription, "Interview with Butterfly Catcher" and the academic works "Detailing Peach Blossom Fan", "Life is Sentient" and so on. Her works have been selected for the high-school literature curriculum and a variety of anthology.

Matsumoto was born in Kokura (Kitakyushu City Kokura Today, the North District). Before worked for the western head office of Asahi Shimbun Matsumoto worked as janitor, printing worker, etc. At age 41, Matsumoto's "Nishigo Note" was short listed Naoki Prize. In 1953, He was awarded Akutagawa Award for "Diary of Kokura". In 1958 Matsumoto published his masterpiece Points and Lines which brought the new "social realism" style to detective novel writing. He devoted his life to writing. His works have wide range of topics and cross from ancient to modern times. His famous works include "Ambush", "Black Paintings" (published by New Rain Publishing), "Japan's Black Mist", "Eye of the Wall" and so on.

Jenny Yu Chih Chang was born 1951 and graduated from Accounting Department of Soochow University in 1973. Her continuous sufferings from local Chus\' politicians over the years made her start to write since 1998. Writings become a way for her to release her pain. Under the hardship, she established YuChih Publishing Firm in 2006 for the first book \"A Virgin Struggle (English Version)\". In 2008, she might be the starter of Taiwan to use Lulu POD technology website to self-publish \"My Struggle (English Version 1)\". \r\n\r\nIn the last month, she increased the registered capital to NT$500,000 for YuChih publishing Firm with the money of early 2 years applied “Old Age Pay”. She is still the only one to own YuChih publishing Firm. Although book marketing is difficult, publishing and writing become her career to go. \r\n\r\nHer story was not a colorful and successful story. It was told to be strong for surviving after cruel sufferings. Life has to tolerate all the difficulties and fight for justice.

Pérez-Reverte is favorite author of the readers and critics of current Spain's literary world. His works are not only the perfect combination of literary connotation, reading entertainment and artistic altitude, but also often stay on bestselling list.

The 55-year-old novelist now at peak of his career was originally a journalist. He worked as a war correspondent for nine years out of his more than twenty years journalistic career, risking his life and reporting news in the front line of Western Sahara, Equatorial Guinea, Lebanon, and the Bosnian war. He became widely known hero of Spain. Pérez-Reverte's rich reporting experiences cultivated his keen insight and rapid writing speed.

Pérez-Reverte started to write while working as journalist. He maintained exuberant creativity and publish one full-length novel every year since his debut work "El húsar" in 1986. Up to now, Pérez-Reverte published 16 novels and a serious historical adventure novel with leading character Captain Alatriste. His works are not only well received by readers but also won important literary awards at home or abroad. His works also sold into many countries and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

Pérez-Reverte was elected a member of the Spanish Royal Academy in 2003. It's not too far to call this contemporary bestselling author and whose works have been sold into most countries "national writer" of Spain.

Ayako Sono was born in Tokyo in 1931. She graduated from Department of English Language and Literature of University of The Scared Heart Tokyo. She was married to writer Shumon Miura in 1953. Her work Enrai No Kyaku Tachi (Visitors from Afar) was short listed for the Akutagawa Prize in 1954. That piece attracted a considerable attention. Since then the people's sin and desire, faith, family, old age, and education are often topics of her novels and essays. In addition, Sono spared no efforts to participate social activities, served as members of the various committees, and took position as the chairperson of the "Nippon Foundation". In 1979, Sono was given the La Croce Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (The Vatican), and won many literary awards. Her works include Free Soul, Happiness in the City, After Middle Age, Green Fingers: the Joy of Gardening, The Aesthetics of Old Age (published by Commonwealth Publishing Co., Ltd.), A Nameless Monument, A note of Admonition to the Old, Visitors from Afar (published by Yuan-Liou Publishing Co.,Ltd.) and Ayako Sono collection-7 volumes, etc.

Arnaldur was born at Reykjavík, Iceland in 1961. He worked as journalist, script writer, and film critic. "Indridason work series" is his world-renowned masterpiece. His first book Tainted Blood also known as Jar City won The Glass Key Award by the Crime Writers of Scandinavia and Caliber Award (Sweden) for best crime novel, and was selected for the top 10 crime fiction by Kansas City Star in United States, best thriller novel by Herald Tribune in New Zealand, as well as the short-listed for The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and won Sweden Martin Beck Award for best crime novel in translation and Best Novel of the Year by Netherlands "criminal restricted" website and many other awards. Tainted Blood has even been adapted into a movie call Jar City which won 6 Icelandic film awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, etc.

Arnaldur Indridason's following novel, Silence of the Grave, won the Glass Key award in the following year also, making him the first author ever to have won the award two years running. Silence of the Grave also won the prestigious Gold Dagger Award by Crime Writers' Association.

Babette Cole was born in England. At a very young age, Babette Cole knew she was either going to be a writer or do the horse-related work after grow up. These are her two lifelong favorites. Her mother came from a circus family, and her father came from a artist family. After graduated from the Art School in 1973, Cole engaged in writing and illustrating. She loves travel, contact with different cultures, and also love to breed all kinds of animals. Babette Cole can tackle sensitive topics that many parents are afraid to discuss directly with their children in a relaxed manner. Her works are rich in humor and lovable funny characters, which make her every work stays on the best-selling list for a long time.

Dan Brown is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to writing. In 1996, his interest in code-breaking and covert government agencies led him to write his first novel, Digital Fortress, which quickly became a number one bestselling eBook. Set within the National Security Agency, the novel explores the fine line between civilian privacy and national security.
Dan Brown's father is a Presidential Award winning math professor and his mother is a professional sacred musician. He grew up surrounded by the paradoxical philosophies of science and religion. Dan Brown's wife is both an art historian and painter. She collaborates on his research and accompanies him on his frequent research trips. The Da Vinci Code is complete in the Louvre when they went to Paris together.

Dan. Brown is also author of Angels & Demons and Deception Point. As Brown said, Angels & Demons is the prequel of The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown created the character of Robert Langdon in Angels & Demons for the first time. The story describes Harvard University symbolist Langdon's adventure in Vatican City, one year before his important visit to the Louvre.

Jean-Louis Fournier was born in 1938. He studied classical literature in university. Fournier was supposed to have become a serious scholar, but later became a well-known French writer and television director. He has received numerous international art film awards, put into the creation of animations, and participated in production of many television series and documentary films. From 1992, Fournier began his writing career and published more than 20 books, including essays, novels, and plays. He fascinated many French readers with his humor and wit.

Although Fournier was often invited to talk about his works on the media, but Fournier kept avoiding talking about his own two children. Until he was 70 years old, that is, in 2008, he finally published Where We Going, Daddy? (Où on va papa?). This is the first time he wrote as a father of two handicapped children. He said: "I didn't want to mention it in the past not because of fear of shame, or fear of people's strange look, but because I cannot face the unbearable pain after telling."

The publishing of Where We Going, Daddy? immediately caused quite a sensational response in France. It succeeded in both sales and duration of staying on bestselling list. Fournier's words comforted a lot of readers, not just the same as the parents of children with disabilities. It also tells readers to live with courage and a smile even if there is a painful experience. Some critics said: "Perhaps God has not treated Fournier's children well, but this work to Fournier, and even to all the readers, is the best gift when face difficulties of life."

Cormac McCarthy was born Charles McCarthy, in Rhode Island in 1933. He received James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, one of Britain's oldest literary honors, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and The Quills Award. He is frequently compared by modern reviewers to William Faulkner. McCarthy's first novel, The Orchard Keeper, was published by Random House in 1965 (the editor of this book, Albert Erskine was Faulkner's editor for a long time). He then published Outer Dark, Child of God, and Suttree to generally favorable reviews.

Blood Meridian, published in 1985, is considered a turning point in McCarthy's writing career. He continued to write a series of novels set in American western. McCarthy finally received widespread recognition in 1992 with the publication of All the Pretty Horses, the first volume of his Border Trilogy and became best-selling author. Low-key by nature, he was also took the first exclusive media interview at this time. In 2006 Border Trilogy was selected by The New York Times of the best American fiction published in the last 25 years. McCarthy's latest book, The Road, was published in 2006 won James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, the Pulitzer Prize for literature and the Quills Award, and was picked by dozen of international media as best book and selected in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club.

The Film No Country for Old Men adapted from his novel of the same name won four Academy Awards in 2008. In 2008, McCarthy was awarded the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction. McCarthy now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, Jennifer Winkley, and their younger son, John.

Baku Yumeakura was born in 1951 in Odawara, Kanagawa. He graduated from Department of Japanese Literature of Tokai University. He published his debut story Dead Frog at Fantastic Idea magazine. In addition to popular series works like Onmyoji (The Yin Yang Master), Saikodaiba (Demon Beast Hunt), and Garouden (The Legend of the Fighting Wolves), Yumeakura also continues to fascinate broad audience in the areas of mountaineering fiction, adventure fiction, horror fiction, and fantasy fiction. Yumeakura is a member of SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan) and The Japan Writers' Association.

Chi was born in 1924 at Tieling, Liaoning Provence. She graduated from Department of Foreign language and literature, Wuhan University and came to Taiwan in 1947. Chi went to Indiana University for study in 1968, and worked as Director of new founded Department of Foreign Languages of National Chung Hsing University. In 1988, Chi retired from post of professor of Department of Foreign Languages and Literature of National Taiwan University and employed as an honorary professor at National Taiwan University.

Chi worked as visiting professor at St. Mary's College, California State University at San Francisco, and guest professor at Free University Berlin, Germany. Chi is known for her exact attitude toward teaching, writing and exposition. Chi has edited, translated and published various literary criticisms. She play an important role in introducing western literature to Taiwan and introducing English translation of Taiwan's representative literary work to the Western world.

Winner of Hans Christian Andersen Award and Kate Greenaway Medal.

A surrealist painter, Anthony Brown has become best-selling author of picture books around the world. His books were frequent short-listed many children book's awards and enjoy great popularity. Anthony Browne's unique ultra realistic style shuttles back and forth between the reality and the imagination. There are humorous interests hiding in each small place, and allow readers having new discovery each reading.

Browne graduated from Leeds College of Art in 1967. Before working as full-time author and illustrator of children's books, Anthony Browne took a job as medical illustrator for three years. This period of time let him refine his practical description skill; then he moved on to design greeting cards for Gordon Fraser for fifteen years which let him have more opportunities to try for different styles, and for the subsequent work of children's books lay a solid foundation. Whenever he has an idea for picture books, Anthony Browne said "It is a wonderful combination of story and image. Decide what to illustrate in the book is just like to decide what scene to film for a movie" He created a unique surrealistic painting language in world of children's picture books, with integration of textures as real as photos, and surreal visual crazy puns. With Browne's superb drawing skills and humorous ideas, color, shape, background, and details deliver the touching emotion and though-provoking implications underlying the story.

Nicholas Sparks is an American author, writing novels with themes that include love, tragedy and fate. Sparks is often inspired from ordinary people and simple stories around you and me. He is good at portray pure and deep-seated emotions. His stories accompany the readers to taste sweetness and bitterness of love, stimulate people to ponder the true meaning of love and comfort souls injured by love due to thirst for love.

Sparks wrote many best-selling novels. 7 of his novels have made the New York Times best-seller list. Sparks' books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and four of his novels have been made into films: Dear John, Message in a Bottle, The Notebook and A Walk to Remember.

Enzo is a pen name, from the representing sound of angel, also meant to thank all the persons that have ever offered their help. Enzo wanted to be cartoonist at high school, and then almost ceased painting; admitted to the Department of Journalism in university, but never considered being a journalist. He worked in a bookstore after graduation and worked as creative contributors at the same time. Now he is a full-time writer. Enzo won several certificates of award as a student but never received any formal art training. He is still not used to being an illustrator and prefer illustrating for his own writing. His works received good reviews and have been selected as best picture book by Eslite and Kingstone and won The Best Picture Books of Golden Tripod Awards. Enzo now writes columns for both magazines and newspaper, and also draws covers for many best-selling books.

Andrew Clements is the most popular and respected American bestselling author. He writes text for children's picture books and children's novels. His first novel was Frindle, which remains one of his best-known works, stayed on New York Time Bestseller list for a long time and was sold over 2 million copies in America, and which has won dozens of different awards and sold copyrights to many countries including German, France, Italy, UK, Japan and Korean.

Clements started to write poems since high school. His English teacher once said one of his poems "is so funny. This should be published!"  This praise set him off to continue writing. He worked as a high school teacher, lyric writer, and chief editor of publisher. Now Clements is a full-time writer and currently lives in Massachusetts.

Shiraishi Kazuhumi was born in Fukuoka in 1958. He graduated from School of Political Science and Economics of Waseda University and worked for Bungeishunju Ltd before truned to a full-time writer. His first work Light of the Moment received good reviews right after it was published. Shiraishi keeps challenging to write on different subjects and caused a sensation among his readers. He is expected to win Naoki Award in recent years.

In addition to Light of the Monet, Shiraishi also wrote Imprisoned Heart, The Unbroken Part in My Heart, How Much Love There is, Dragon in the Heart.

Wu Dan-ru graduated from National Taiwan University with BA degree of law and received one master degree in Chinese literature and one EMBA degree.

Wu is not only a best-selling writer but also hosts many TV and radio shows. Because Wu did interview with more than one thousand persons from all kind of background and exchange opinions with different persons, she has extensive experience and deep insight into "how to speak".

Dan-ru said if speaking is a kind of art then it is the most difficult art to understand. But it is essential to understand this art and it can help you keep much smoother relationship with your colleagues, lover, family and friends..

Therefore, she wrote this book.

Let's study and grow with Dan-ru and get to know "speaking", an interesting art with ease.

(1933~) Bryce Courtenay is Australia's best-selling novelist with real experience like the legend. Courtenay is British descent and was born in South-Africa. He moved a lot of places due to racism when he was young before settled down in Australia. He published his first book The Power of One at age 55 and this 500-paged, fictionalized story of Bryce Courtenay's childhood quickly became super best-seller. The Power of One has sold more than 2 million copies in Australia and made Courtenay the top selling author in Australia with no equal. The Power of One was translated in 15 languages, has sold more than 4 million around the world and keeps selling after 20 years of first publishing.  

In addition to The Power of One, every Courtenay's new book is best-seller. Courtenay is the only author who can beat Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter and won the top-seller. At present he has written 20 novels and, although the advanced age 74, still writes ceaselessly. Courtenay is the true Australia's top selling novelist.

Mary Higgins Clark is a master plotter, "The Queen of Suspense", and was inducted by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. Clark is of Irish descent and was born and raised in New York. Her work first published by magazines in 1956, and almost each of her books has been a bestseller. After the success of her debut suspense novel, Where Are The Children, Clark continued writing more than 30 suspense, including We'll Meet Again, and several short stories collections. Among her works, You Belong to me, Haven't We Met Before, and All Around The Town have been adapted into television films and showed by major TV networks and TV channels in Taiwan.  

An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon &Schuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of America in April 2001. Clark has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorates. She has also been named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, received The Women of Achievement award from the Federation of Women's Clubs in New Jersey, and the Irish Woman of the Year award from the Irish-American Heritage and Cultural Week Committee of the Board of Education of the City of New York. Clark's books have sold more than 85 million copies in the United States alone. She is the true Grand Master of suspense writing.

Mohsin Hamid was born in Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, in 1971 and grew up there. He moved to the United States to obtain his education. He studied Public and International affair in Princeton University. After graduated from Princeton University, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating with doctoral degree in law in 1997. He then worked several years as a management consultant at financial management firm in Manhattan, New Youk City before moving back to Pakistan as a freelance journalist in Lahore. He now lives in London.

Hamid's first novel, Moth Smoke was published in 2000. It won a Betty Trask Award, was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His second novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, was published in 2007 and soon became a bestseller on all kinds of bestselling lists. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and Commonwealth Writers Prize and was a a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and Publishers Weekly Best Fiction of the year.

Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1945. He was a literary editor at the Irish Times and has been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. He now lives in Dublin. Banville wrote 19 novels since his first book, Long Lankin, published in 1970; among them is award-winning The Revolutions Trilogy: Doctor Copernicus won James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Kepler won Guardian Fiction Prize and The Newton Letter: An Interlude was adapted into in TV series. In addition, The Book of Evidence was shortlited for the Booker Prize and won the Guinness Peat Aviation Award in 1989. Banville won the Man Booker Prize by The Sea in 2005. Boston Globe calls Banville "one of the great stylists writing in English today". He is also considered the Irish writer who will most probably win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Juli Zeh was born in Bonn in 1974. Zeh is a rising star in Germany literature. Her works have been translated into 28 languages and won several literature prizes, such as Deutscher Bücherpreis for best debut novel in 2002, Rauriser Literaturpreis (2002), Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis and Per-Olov-Enquist-Preis (2005). Her play Corpus delicti also won Jürgen-Bansemer-und-Ute-Nyssen Dramatikerpreis (2008). She now lives in the suburb near Berlin. Inaddition to being a writer, Zeh is preparing her doctoral disseration in law.

Joseph Finder was born in Chicago in 1958. He spend much of his early childhood in Afghanistan and Philippine, later lived in Albany, capital of New York State. Finder is also a member of Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He writes extensively on espionage and international affairs for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Republic magazine.

 

Finder graduated from Yale University and received a master's degree from the Harvard Russian Research Center. Red Carpet and Moscow Club, which were published when Finder was 24 years old, were set in Russia. In Moscow Club, Finder imaged a KGB coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a full display of his past study in Russian Research. His fourth novel High Crimes became a hit movie starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman. In recent years, Finder’s writing shifted to the more popular types of thriller and suspense. His consecutive works won major awards and sales were constantly increased. The main reason that Finder’s works are favored by readers is Finder is very good at describing actions and reactions of ordinary people in danger and bringing readers the feeling of live. The ending of his works also often surprises his readers.  

Philip Roth was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1933 to a middle-class Jewish family. Roth graduated from Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, next year he received M.A in English literature at the University of Chicago and taught English there. At the same time, Roth then pursued doctor’s degree; only later he gave up studying and concentrated on writing. He gained literary fame with the 1959 collection Goodbye, Columbus (winner of 1960's National Book Award). Roth went on teaching creative writing at the University of Iowa in 1960, became writer in residence at the Princeton University two years later, and for many years he taught comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He continued his writing until now after retired from teaching at 1992. Roth’s works have won recognition from readers and critics and many awards, including Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, PEN/Faulkner Awards, National Book Critics Circle awards, National Book Award, France's Medicis foreign book prize, Guggenheim fellowship, O. Henry Prize, and American Academy of Arts and Letters' Gold Metal for Fiction. He was elected to National Institute of Arts and Letters.  Roth’s novels are written with unrestrained language, free narration, various styles and extensive subjects. Roth’s “Nathan Zuckerman series”, including American Pastoral, I Married a Communist, and The Human Stain was called his American Trilogy, and representative work. All these novels reflect key moments in American experience after WWII—from McCarthy’s white terror, Vietnam War to Clinton’s sex scandal respectively. I Married a Communist won Ambassador Book Award. In recent years, Roth has demonstrated a unique ability not only to sustain his literary output, but even surpass the scope and talent inherent in his previous writings. He is expected to win Nobel Prize for literature for many years. In 2005 Philip Roth also became the third living American writer to have his work published in a comprehensive, definitive edition by the Library of America. He is also the youngest living writer whose works are listed as “Canon”.

Keigo Higashino was born in Osaka, Japan in 1958. He graduated from Department of Electrical Engineering of Osaka Prefecture University.

He won Edogawa Rampo Prize in 1985 for the novel Hōkago, and in 1998 won the 52nd Mystery Writers of Japan Inc Award for the novel Himitsu, which made into a movie, starring Ryoko Hirosue and Kaoru Kobayashi. In 1999, he published Byakuyakō, a mystery novel with a time span of 19 years and exquisite description of leading characters and people around them. After Byakuyakō, Higashino's style became more skillfully and the quality of his works gets into the next level.

Higashino was nominated Naoki Prize in 2001 for his novel Kataomoi, about a love affair unacceptable by the society; then in 2003, he was nominated for Naoki Prize again for his novel Tegami, which described relationship between inmate, his family and family of his victim. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize and 6th Honkaku Mystery Prize for the novel Yōgisha X no Kenshin. Yōgisha X no Kenshin was considered his best work so far.

Hisgashino's works are extensive and various but still care for practical issues, which make his works more credible than others. His early works focus more on exquisite riddles. Latest works pay more attention to people's innermost feelings and devote to discover life's helplessness and hope. With his science background, Higashino is able to manage topics related to technology easily, such as Shukumei, touching on brain science and Galileo series (Tantei Galileo , Yōgisya X no Kenshin, and Yochimu) featuring Manabu Yukawa.

Continuous concern with social issues makes Haigashino write Lakeside, discussing education problems in Japan, and Tegami, exploring relationship between victim of crime and family of family of offender. After he won various prizes for Yōgisha X no Kenshin, Higashino has reached summit that no one ever reached before and caused rare phenomenon of Japanese mystery writing.

2008 Noble Laureate in Economic Science.

From 1982 to 1983, Krugman worked at the Reagan White House as a staff member of the Council of Economic Advisers. He is a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. Krugman is the fifth member of the MIT economics department to receive the John Bates Clark Medal, which is awarded to the outstanding economist under the age of forty. He was awarded Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, the "European Pulitzer", in 2004, and then awarded Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008. Krugman is a member of National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He also worked as economic adviser to Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, even countries such as Portugal and Philippines, etc.

Sebastian Fitzek was born in Berlin in 1971. He studied law in university and earned a doctorate in copyright. After received doctor degree, he worked in programming at various radio stations and developed television programs before started writing.  Fitzek doesn’t only live in the “here and now”, but everywhere. Not that this is how he like it. He just don’t seem to be able to treasure the moment. The fact that one of his books has landed in bookstores is, like many things in his life, thanks to his unbelievable naivety. Had he known that 1 percent of manuscripts publishers receive have a chance; he probably would have taken his chances with the Lottery rather than write a thriller. And had he known his agent was once Michael Ende’s editor, he would have been too ashamed to even give him his signature. „Die Therapie“ is Fitzek’s debut novel. Now he is working on two other thrillers. The author leaves up to readers to deceide whether they are good or not. At least his three dogs think they are good and everyday they sepnd a lot time around the drafts. Fitzek is a computer maniac. He has a latop in every room of his house, plus he have a 2 kilo mobile with integrated computer so he can check his email anytime anywhere. Sounds a little exaggerated? Fitzek admits that’s what he is, but then he never would have been able to write fictions.  Fitzek’s second thriller „Amokspiel“ was published in 2007 and immediately caused intensive responses and made to Amazom bestseller list. Traditional Chinese edition will be published in 2008. His third thriller „Das Kind“ will be released in January 2008.

Jodi Picoult was born on Long island, New York in 1967. Picoult received an A.B. in creative writing from Princeton and a master’s degree in education from Harvard. Picoult is good at dealing with moral controversial issues, like mercy killing and suicide of teenagers, in her works. She even wrote about sensational eugenic sterilization few years ago. Her books are translated into more than thirty languages in forty countries. In 2003 she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction. She’s also a New York Time bestselling author and Washington Post said she is one the masters.

Picoult’s first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale, caused wide attention. She already published more than a dozen novels, including Harvesting the Heart (1994), Picture Perfect (1995), Mercy (1996), The Pact (1998), Keeping Faith (1999), Plain Truth (2000), Salem Falls (2001), Perfect Match (2002), Second Glance (2003), My Sister’s Keeper (2004), Vanishing Acts (2005), The Tenth Circle (2006), Nineteen Minutes (2007), and Change the Heart (2008). She wrote several issues of Wonder Woman comic book series for DC Comics in 2007. The Pact and Plain Truth – were made into television movies. My Sister’s Keeper is currently in development, with Cameron Diaz starring.