Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton was born on 20 December 1969 in Zurich, Switzerland. He is the only son of Gilbert de Botton and Jacqueline Burgauer. He has one sister named Miel. Alain spent his childhood in Switzerland, where he learned to speak French and German. In 1981, Alain and his family moved to London, where he was primarily educated. He studied history at Cambridge University (1988-1990) and completed a masters degree in philosophy at Kings College (1991-1992). In 1993, his first novel, 'Essays In Love', was published. He has since written many books on what he describes as "the philosophy of everyday life". His works have all been critically acclaimed, particularly his most well known non-fiction novel, 'How Proust Can Change Your Life' (1997). Alain now lives in London with his wife, Charlotte Neser, and their two young sons, Samuel and Saul. He is a regular contributer to several English newspapers, and lectures extensively on his books. He also owns his own production company, Seneca Pr