Marius Kociejowski was born in 1949 and lives in London. Poet, essayist and travel writer, he has published three collections of poetry, two books based on his travels in Syria, The Street Philosopher and the Holy Fool (Eland) and The Pigeon Wars of Damascus (Biblioasis), God's Zoo: Artists, Exiles, Londoners (Carcanet), which depicts a journey through the world cultures of contemporary London, two books of essays and feuilletons The Pebble Chance (Biblioasis) and Zoroaster's Children (Biblioasis), The Notebooks of Arcangelo Riffis (not yet published) and is currently working on a book about Naples. His Greville Press pamphlet Coast was awarded the Cheltenham Prize in 1991.He is a frequent contributor to PN Review.