Peter Høeg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 17, 1957. He graduated from Frederiksberg Gymnasium in 1976 and then studied literary theory at the University of Copenhagen, earning his master's degree in 1984. While at school, Høeg began writing his first novel, Forestilling om det tyvende arhundrede, which he worked on for six years, endlessly revising as he gained greater skill in writing. When the book was published in 1988, Danish critics were quick to praise it. His next book, Fortællinger om naten (1990), also received positive criticism and established him as the premier contemporary Danish writer. However, it was his third book, the novel, Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for sne (1992), which established Høeg's international fame. The book, translated into English as Smilla's Sense of Snow in 1993, became a bestseller in the United States.

Following this success, Høeg's existing works...