Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a Spanish novelist, best known for his international bestsellers The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game. Born in Barcelona in 1964, he studied literature and film at the University of Barcelona. His first novel, The Prince of Mist, was published in 1993 and was an immediate success. He has since written several other novels, including The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of Spirits. His books have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He is considered one of the most influential Spanish authors of the 21st century.