Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker, known for his unique approach to making philosophy relevant to everyday life. Born on 20 December 1969, his literary career took off with his debut book, Essays in Love (1993), which sold two million copies. He further established himself with bestsellers such as How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997), Status Anxiety (2004), and The Architecture of Happiness (2006).

In addition to his writing, de Botton co-founded The School of Life in 2008, an educational institution based in London, and Living Architecture in 2009. His contributions to literature and public thought were recognized in 2015 when he received "The Fellowship of Schopenhauer" from the Melbourne Writers Festival.