Marek Halter was born in Poland in 1936. During World War II, he and his parents narrowly escaped from the Warsaw ghetto. After a time in Russia and Uzbekistan, they emigrated to France in 1950. Halter embarked on a career as a painter that led to several international exhibitions. He is also the author of several internationally acclaimed, bestselling historical novels, including Messiah, The Wind of the Khazars, Sarah, Tzipporah, Lilah and the Book of Abraham, which won the Prix du Livre Inter.