Roch Carrier was born in the small town of Sainte-Justine, Quebec, in 1937. He received a BA from the Universite Saint-Louis in Edmunston, New Brunswick, a master's degree from the Universite de Montreal, and a doctorate at the Universite de Paris. He published his first book, La Guerre, Yes Sir! in 1968 at the age of 31. He was secretary-general of the Theatre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal, the director of the Canada Council from 1994 to 1997, and appointed National Librarian in October 1999. He lives in Ottawa and Montreal.

Sheila Fischman is an acclaimed translator of French literature. Her translations have been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award, which she won in 1998.