Antoine Audouard was born in Paris in 1956, son of writer Yvan Audouard and grandson of surrealist André Thirion. He spent six years as publishing director of France's Laffont-Fixot, leaving in 2000 to devote himself to writing. His novel Farewell, My Only One (Adieu mon unique)was shortlisted for the Goncourt Prize, France's most respected award for fiction. It has been translated into fourteen languages.