ALAIN DE BOTTON s-a nascut in anul 1969, la Zürich. In 1977, familia lui se stabileste in Marea Britanie, unde scriitorul si-a facut studiile si traieste in prezent. A urmat cursuri de istorie la Cambridge, luandu-si masteratul in 1991, dupa care a obtinut un masterat in filozofie la King’s College, University of London, in 1992. Este fondatorul scolii londoneze The School of Life (2008), care promoveaza o noua viziune asupra educatiei, si al organizatiei Living Architecture (2009). Pana acum, i-au aparut 14 carti de factura eseistica, dezbatand intr-o maniera neconventionala teme fundamentale precum dragostea, religia, frumosul etc. Eseuri de indragostit (Essays in Love, 1993; Humanitas, 2003; Humanitas Fiction, 2013), prima lui carte, l-a consacrat rapid pe scriitorul de numai 23 de ani, devenind bestseller international. Alain de Botton publica in ritm constant lucrari de mare succes, care sunt traduse in 30 de tari: Sex, shopping si un roman (The Romantic Movement. Sex, Shopping, and the Novel, 1994), Kiss & Tell (1995), How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997), The Consolation of Philosophy (2000), The Art of Travel (2002), Status Anxiety (2004), The Architecture of Happiness (2006), The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work (2009), A Week at the Airport (2009), Religion for Atheists (2011), How to Think More About Sex (2012), Art as Therapy (2013) si Stirile. Manualul utilizatorului (The News: A User’s Manual, 2014; Humanitas, 2015). In 2016 ii apare romanul Ce se intampla in iubire (The Course of Love; Humanitas Fiction, 2017). Alain de Botton a fost ales in 2011 Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.