André-Marcel Adamek  (1946–2011) was Belgium’s finest contemporary storyteller. The author of more than fifteen books of fiction, poetry, and teleplays, he has been a cruise ship steward, a toymaker, a paper wholesaler, a goat farmer, an editor, and a ghostwriter. He has been awarded the Prix Jean Macé, the Prix triennal du roman, the Prix du Parlement de la Communauté française, and the Prix Rossel, Belgium’s top literary prize.