Carlos Ruiz Zafón was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1964. The close proximity of his parents’ house to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral and the years he spent at the Gothic Jesuit school of Sarría made a lasting impression on the child’s imagination. In 1993 Ruiz Zafón received the Edebè Children's Literature Prize for his first novel 'El príncipe de la niebla'. Against the historical background of the time after the Spanish Civil War, the author develops a novel which borrows from fantastic literature. Ruiz Zafón’s most recent novel, and his first real entry into adult literature, 'La sombra del viento' also takes place in the post-war years of the Franco regime. But this time the setting is the author’s hometown, described in sombre, spine-chilling images. The novel quickly became a bestseller in Spain and won best novel of the year in 2002. It has already been translated into 12 languages. Carlos Ruiz Zafón has lived in Los Angeles since 1994. In addition to novels and screenplays, he writes for 'El País' and 'La Vanguardia'.