Rupert Christiansen was born in London and educated at King's College, Cambridge. After further study as a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University, he has written several books including Prima Donna, Romantic Affinities, Paris Babylon, The Visitors and Arthur Hugh Clough. In 1997, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.He is currently opera critic of the Daily Telegraph and a member of the editorial board of Opera magazine. He has contributed to many newspapers and magazines, including The Spectator, Times Literary Supplement, Harpers & Queen, Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker.