Silviano Santiago was born in Brazil in 1936. He is the author of four novels, several volumes of short stories, poetry, and literary and cultural criticism. His Em Liberdade (1982) earned him the prestigious Jabuti Prize for the best Brazilian novel and he has been named a "Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes AcadÉmiques" by the French Minister of Education. Having taught in universities throughout the United States and France, he now resides in Rio de Janeiro where he dedicates himself to teaching at the Universidade Federal Fluminense and writing fiction and criticism.

George YÚdice is Professor of Romance Languages at Hunter College and Professor of Cultural Studies at the City University of New York Graduate Center.