Paul Frederic Bowles was a multi-faceted American expatriate whose talents spanned across composing, authorship, and translation. He is particularly renowned for his deep association with the Moroccan city of Tangier, which became his home in 1947. For 52 years, until his demise, he made Tangier his abode, embodying the spirit of American immigrants in the city.

His journey began in New York City, where he was born into a cultured middle-class family. From an early age, Bowles showed a remarkable aptitude for music and writing. His pursuit of education led him to the University of Virginia, followed by several trips to Paris during the 1930s. It was here that he studied music under Aaron Copland and ventured into writing music for theatrical productions among other compositions. His literary career took a significant leap with the critical and popular success of his first novel The Sheltering Sky (1949), set against the backdrop of French North Africa, a region he first visited in 1931.

In the heart of Tangier, then part of the Tangier International Zone, Bowles found his sanctuary. His wife, Jane Bowles, joined him in 1948, and except for winters spent in Ceylon during the early 1950s, Tangier was his steadfast home. The couple became central figures in the American and European expatriate scene in Tangier, hosting luminaries such as Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Gore Vidal. After the passing of his wife in 1973, Bowles continued to live in Tangier, until his death in 1999 from heart failure.

Bowles's ashes are buried near family graves in Lakemont Cemetery, upstate New York, marking the end of a life that was as eclectic as it was influential.