Born in 1931, Juan Goytisolo went into voluntary exile in 1956 and has never returned to live in Spain. A bitter opponent of the Franco regime, his early novels were banned in his native country. He divided his time between Paris and Marrakesh until the death of his wife, Monique Lange, at which time he moved permanently to Marrakesh.

Peter Bush has translated nine books by Juan Goytisolo, including Exiled from Almost Everywhere and Juan the Landless, as well as novels by other prominent Spanish and Latin American writers.