Javier Cercas was born in 1962. He is a novelist, short-story writer and essayist, whose books include El móvil (The Motive, 1987), and Relatos reales (True Tales, 2000). In the 1980s he taught for two years at the University of Illinois, and since 1989 has been a lecturer in Spanish Literature at the University of Gerona. He is a regular contributor to the Catalan edition of El Páis. Since publication Soldados de Salamina has sold more than 500,000 copies in all editions in Spain, is being published in more than fifteen languages (it has already appeared to acclaim in France, Germany and Italy) and has received the following literary prizes: Premi Llibreter 2001 (the prestigious booksellers' award of Catalonia), Premi Ciutat de Barcelona, Premio de la Crítica de Chile, Premio Salambó, Premio Qué Leer, Premio Extremadura and Premio Grinzane-Cavour. It has also been filmed by David Trueba and is available in twelve languages.