Gerald Lynch was born in Ireland and grew up in Canada. Missing Children is his fifth book of fiction. In 2001, Cormorant Books published Exotic Dancers, his second novel (pb. 2003), which was preceded by the novel Troutstream (Fourth Estate, Random House Canada, 1995; pb. 1996) and two books of short stories (1989 and 1992). Also in 2001, the University of Toronto Press published his second book of criticism, The One and the Many: English-Canadian Short Story Cycles, and then in 2002 the compilation Leacock on Life. His first book was a critical study of Stephen Leacock’s writings, Stephen Leacock: Humour and Humanity (1989). He has also published numerous short stories and essays, and been the recipient of a few awards for his writing, including the gold award for short fiction in Canada’s National Magazine Awards. He lives in Ottawa and teaches at the University of Ottawa.