Emil Mihai Cioran was a Romanian philosopher, aphorist, and essayist, born on April 8, 1911, in Rășinari, a small village in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. He grew up under the influence of a Romanian Orthodox priest father and a mother prone to depression. Cioran's early works were written in Romanian and included collections of essays and aphorisms. Suffering from insomnia since his adolescent years in Sibiu, he studied philosophy in Bucharest, known as the "little Paris".

In 1937, Cioran moved to the Latin Quarter of Paris, where he lived in seclusion with his partner, Simone Boué, for the rest of his life. Cioran's work is noted for its philosophical pessimism, style, and depth, often addressing themes of suffering, decay, and nihilism. He became a well-known figure in the literary world and shared the Royal Foundation’s Young Writers Prize in 1934 with his future close friend Eugene Ionesco for his first book, "On the Heights of Despair."

Cioran passed away on June 20, 1995, in Paris, leaving behind a legacy of profound philosophical thought.