Baroness Fabienne Claire Nothomb, better known by her pen name Amélie Nothomb, is a renowned Belgian Francophone novelist. She was born on 9 July 1966 in Etterbeek, Belgium, to a family of Belgian diplomats.

Although Nothomb claims to have been born in Japan, she began living there at the age of two and spent her early childhood in Asia, later moving to several countries including China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, the United Kingdom, and Laos.

Nothomb is a prolific author, known for publishing a book a year since her debut novel, Hygiene and the Assassin in 1992. Her writings have achieved significant literary success and have been translated into various languages. Noteworthy works include Les Catilinaires (1995), Stupeur Et Tremblements (1999), and Métaphysique des tubes (2000).

She has been honored as a Commander of the Order of the Crown and received the title of Baroness by King Philippe of Belgium. Her novel Fear and Trembling, a satirical piece about corporate life in Japan, won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française in 1999. In 2015, she was elected to the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature in Belgium.