NABILE FARS was born in Kabylie in northernAlgeria in 1940, moving to France with his family atthe age of sixteen. After his first year as a universitystudent, Fars joined the National Liberation Armyand fought for Algerian independence. During thewar, he worked on a draft of his first novel,Yahia Pasde Chance. Fars later returned to France, wherehe earned his doctorate in ethnology. He has sincepublished several novels and volumes of poetry. Hecurrently resides in Paris.
Peter Thompson, Ph.D., has been the Sydney Mayer Lecturer in Early American History at Oxford University since January 1993. He earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and spent four years as Lecturer in American History at Princeton University. He resides in England.