John Irving, born in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1942, now lives in Toronto. He is the author of 14 novels, including international bestsellers such as The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampshire, A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Son of the Circus and A Widow for One Year – from which the children’s story A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound is taken. John Irving's work has been translated into more than 35 languages.