Patrick McGuinness was born in Tunisia in 1968 of Belgian and Newcastle Irish parents, and brought up in Iran, Venezuela, France, Belgium and Romania. He now teaches French in Oxford, where he is Professor of French and Comparative Literature.

His first book of poems, The Canals of Mars, was published by Carcanet in 2004. His translation of Mallarmé’s For Anatole’s Tomb (2003) was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. His pamphlet, 19th Century Blues, was a winner in the 2006 Book & Pamphlet Competition.

Patrick’s novel, The Last Hundred Days, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2011.