Yann Martel, the son of diplomats, was born in Spain in 1963. He grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska, and Canada and as an adult has spent time in Iran, Turkey, and India. After studying philosophy in college, he worked at various odd jobs, including dishwasher, tree planter, and security guard, until he began earning his living as a writer at the age of twenty-seven. He lives in Montreal and was the winner of the 2002 Booker Prize for Fiction.