Yann Martel

Canadian · b. 1963

Yann Martel was a Canadian novelist with two unread books and empty pockets when a trip to India yielded Life of Pi — a boy, a lifeboat, and a Bengal tiger arguing for God. It nearly missed publication entirely, then won the 2002 Booker Prize and sold 15 million copies on the strength of a final chapter people can't stop debating.