Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was born in Liège, Belgium. An intrepid traveler with a profound interest in people, Simenon strove on and off the page to understand-and not to judge-the human condition in all its shades. His books include the Inspector Maigret series and a richly varied body of wider work united by its evocative power, its economy of means, and its penetrating psychological insight. He is among the most widely read writers in the global canon.
Siân Reynolds was born in Cardiff, and taught at both the University of Sussex and the University of Edinburgh before serving as chair of French at the University of Stirling from 1990 to 2004. She has translated numerous books from the French, both fiction and nonfiction, including works by the crime writer Fred Vargas.
