Ágota Kristóf was a Hungarian writer who lived in Switzerland and wrote in French. She received the European Prize (Prix Europe, Prix Littéraire Europe, Grand Prix Littéraire Européen) from ADELF, the association of Francophone authors, for Le Grand Cahier (1986; later translated into English as The Notebook). It was followed by two sequels which are collectively known as The Notebook Trilogy. She won the 2001 Gottfried Keller Award in Switzerland and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 2008.

Kristóf's first steps as a writer were in the realm of poetry and theater (John et Joe, Un rat qui passe), which is a facet of her works that did not have as great an impact as her trilogy. In 1986, her first novel, The Notebook, appeared, marking the beginning of a moving trilogy. The sequel, titled The Proof, came two years later. The third part was published in 1991 under the title The Third Lie. The most important themes of this trilogy are war and destruction.