Yann Martel

Yann Martel was born June 25, 1963 in Salamanca, Spain. He is a Canadian author best known for the Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi.
As an adult, Martel has travelled the globe, spending time in several countries such as Iran, Turkey and India. After studying philosophy at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, at age 27 he embarked on a writing career. Living in or visiting many cultures influenced his writing, providing the rich cultural background of Life of Pi. To write the novel, Martel spent six months in India visiting mosques, temples, churches and zoos, and then an entire year reading religious texts.

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