Born in Togo, Kpomassie subsequently left his native Africa and traveled to the north of Greenland in a journey that lasted ten years. An African in Greenland, an autobiography that chronicles his journey, was awarded the Prix Littéraire Francophone International in 1981, and its English translation was one of The New York Times’ Notable Books of the Year in 1983. Kpomassie has written numerous articles and short stories for French publications. Al Alvarez is the author of Risky Business, a selection of essays, many of which first appeared in The New York Review of Books. James Kirkup (1918–2009) was a prolific English poet, translator and travel writer. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.