Rupert Christiansen was born in London and educated at King's College, Cambridge. After further study as a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University, he has written several books including PRIMA DONNA, ROMANTIC AFFINITIES, PARIS BABYLON, THE VISITORS and ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH. In 1997, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Beth Brophy is the author of the novel MY EX-BEST FRIEND (Simon & Schuster, July 2003). She has been an adjunct professor of journalism at the American University and Georgetown.