The second of four children, Maalouf studied sociology at the French University in Beirut, and worked as a journalist before turning to fiction during the civil war of 1975 and moving to Paris. Maalouf’s books typically have a historical setting, and like Umberto Eco, Orhan Pamuk, and Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Maalouf mixes fascinating historical facts with fantasy and philosophical ideas. In an interview Maalouf once said that his role as a writer is to create “positive myths”.

Maalouf’s works, written with the skill of a master storyteller, offer a sensitive view of the values and attitudes of different cultures in the Middle East, Africa and Mediterranean world. His books have been trqanslated into more than 20 languages, he has won numerous prizes.

The Guardian newspaper once said of him: “What is common to Maalouf’s wide-ranging works… is his apparent belief that through examining and understanding a particular historical period we can gain a better understanding of our present time.”