Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963 of Canadian parents. After studying philosophy at university, he travelled and worked at odd jobs before turning to writing. In addition to the Man Booker Prize-winning Life of Pi, which has been translated into over fifty languages and has sold over thirteen million copies worldwide, he is the author of the novels Self, Beatrice and Virgil and The High Mountains of Portugal, the stories The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, and the collection of letters to the Prime Minister of Canada, What is Stephen Harper Reading? He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada.
This enormously lovable novel is suffused with wonder * * Guardian * * A terrific book . . . Fresh, original, smart, devious, and crammed with absorbing lore -- MARGARET ATWOOD Every page offers something of tension, humanity, surprise, or even ecstasy * * The Times * * Vivid and entrancing * * Sunday Telegraph * * Extraordinary . . . Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life * * New York Times Book Review * * Full of clever tricks, amusing asides and grand originality * * Daily Telegraph * * Inventive, shocking and ultimately uplifting * * Daily Mail * * Dramatises and articulates the possibilities of storytelling * * Observer * * A unique and original story, brilliantly told * * Guardian * * Martel's engaging characterisation and vivid description enliven and enrich this dreamy, fantastic tale * * The Times * *