In 2004, Stephen Clarke, a British journalist, published A Year in the Merde, an almost-true account of what may-or-may-not have happened in to him in the ten previous years he'd lived in France. He originally published the novel in a edition of 200 copies, with the intention of selling them through his website or giving them to his friends. However, following a reading in a Canadian bookshop in Paris and a write-up in a French newspaper, the book became a word-of-mouth bestseller and was published around the world.

He lives in Paris where he divides his time between writing and not writing.

For more information about Stephen Clarke and his books, visit his website:
www.stephenclarkewriter.com