Paul West (1930–2015) was the author of more than fifty books. Among his numerous awards are the Literature Award from the Academy and Institute of Arts & Letters, the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction, and the Order of Arts & Letters from the French government.

Claudio Magris is an Italian scholar, translator and writer. His books include El Danubio (Garzanti Libri), Microcosms (Harvill Pr), and A Different Sea (HarperCollins).