Claire Messud

Born in 1966 in the USA to a Canadian mother and an Algerian father, she grew up in Australia and Canada before returning to the United States. She studied at Milton Academy, Yale, and Cambridge. Her first novel was nominated for the Faulkner Award. To date, she has written four novels that have received numerous accolades. In 2003, she was included in Granta magazine's list of the best young British novelists, despite not being British. "The Emperor's Children" was nominated for the Booker Prize. She has taught creative writing at colleges and universities. She lives with her family in Somerville, Massachusetts.