Jorge Edwards was born in Santiago de Chile in 1931. He studed law and philosophy at the universities of Chile and Princeton. He began his diplomatic career in 1957 and was an outspoken defender of freedom of speech when in exile during Pinochet's dictatorship. He has been visiting professor at North American and European universities, and Chilean ambassador before UNESCO. He was awarded Chile's National Literature Prize in 1994 and the Cervantes Prize in 1999, as well as the Comillas Prize for his biography of Pablo Neruda, 'Adiós, poeta',  for whom he worked as secretary and collaborator. Author of novels, essays and memoirs, as well as a columnist for newspapers around the world, he is currently Chilean ambassador in France.