Patrik Ourednik was born in Prague, and emigrated in 1984 to France, where he still lives. He is the author of eight books, including fiction, essays, and poems. He is also the Czech translator of novels, short stories, and plays from such writers as François Rabelais, Alfred Jarry, Raymond Queneau, Samuel Beckett, and Boris Vian. He has received a number of literary awards for his writing and his latest work, Europeana was named one of best books of 2005 by The Village Voice.