Amélie Nothomb, Belgian by nationality, was born in Kobe, Japan, and currently lives between Bruxelles and Paris. Since her first novel Hygiène de l'assassin (1992), she has a large following. Fear and Trembling (1999) sold several 100 000 copies and won the Grand Prix of the Académie Française. She is the best-selling author of sixteen novels, translated into over thirty languages. Her latest novel, Ni d'Ève ni d'Adam (2007) won the Prix de Flore.