Born in Damascus, Rafik Schami was exiled from Syria in 1971. He later co-founded the literary group Sudwind in 1980 and was part of the PoLiKunst movement. Schami's books have been translated into 20 languages and is widely considered to be one of the leading figures of German Gastarbeiterliteratur (Guest-worker literature) or Migrantenliteratur (Migrant literature). He novel A Hand Full of Stars was published by Puffin in 1992 and was described by Publishers Weekly as "a glimpse into a different culture, a plea for the right to free speech, and a highly readable tale." He bestselling novel The Dark Side of Love was published in the US in 2009 to widespread critical acclaim, described by the Washington Times as a novel to 'enjoy and ponder . achieved with considerable skill'. In the Starred Review/Pick of the Week in May last year, Publishers Weekly lauded him as a 'Major international talent'.