Jean-Christophe Bailly was born in 1949 in Paris. He has authored many books, covering almost every genre except the novel. Recently he published Le Parti pris des animaux (Seuil, 2013) and The Phrase urbaine (Seuil, 2013). Among his works Description d'Olonne, (Bourgois, 1992), Le Champ mimétique (Seuil, 2005), Le Dépaysement. Voyages en France (Seuil, 2011) and L'Atelier infini: 30 000 ans de peinture (Hazan, 2007).