Roberto Bolaño (1953-2003) was the author of The Savage Detectives and 2666, among many other notable works. Born in Santiago, Chile, he later lived in Mexico City, Paris, and Barcelona. His accolades include the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Premio Rómulo Gallegos. He died at the age of fifty and is widely considered to be the greatest Latin American writer of his generation.

Laura Healy is a writer, designer, and literary translator. Her translations of Roberto Bolaño and other Latin American poets have appeared in Harper's Magazine, The Believer, The Nation, and many other journals. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and works as the managing editor of The Harvard Review.