Kjell Askildsen (b.1929) is widely recognized as one of the preeminent Norwegian writers of the twentieth century and among the greatest short-story authors of all time. Askildsen's minimalist stories have garnered him numerous literary awards, among them are: The Norwegian Critics' Prize (1983 and 1991), the Brage Honorary Prize (1996), the Swedish Academy's Nordic Prize (2009), and in 1991, he was nominated for the Nordic Council's Prize for Literature.

Seán Kinsella is from Dublin, and holds an MPhil in literary translation from Trinity College Dublin. He has translated into English works by Kjell Askildsen, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Frode Grytten, among others. His translation of Stig Saeterbakken's Through the Night, was long-listed for the Best Translated Book Award in 2014. He lives in Norway.