Roger Lancelyn Green was born in England in 1918, where his family has lived for more than 900 years. He was often sick as a child and spent long periods confined to his room devouring Greek myths, medieval romances, and fairy tales. Green began a lifelong fascination with Greece and Greek culture when he first visited that country in 1935. He went on to compile and retell many Greek stories, including "Old Greek Fairy Tales," and "Jason and the Golden Fleece." Green also wrote his own stories, but he is better known for his retellings of folk tales from around the world. Roger Lancelyn Green died in 1987
Acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne was born in Dublin, Ireland on April 30, 1971. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. He has written dozens of short stories and many novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. An award-winning film adaptation of this work was released in 2008.