Jean-Philippe Toussaint is the author of nine novels, and the winner of numerous literary prizes, including the Prix Decembre for "The Truth about Marie". His writing has been compared to the works of Samuel Beckett, Jacques Tati, the films of Jim Jarmusch, and even Charlie Chaplin. A native of Vancouver, John Lambert studied philosophy in Paris before moving to Berlin, where he lives with his wife and two children. Translator, journalist, philosophy teacher, and actor, he has translated Jean-Philippe Toussaint s Monsieur and Self-Portrait Abroad.