Iain Pears is a renowned English author, art historian, and journalist. He was born in Coventry, England and was educated at Warwick School, Wadham College, and Wolfson College, Oxford. His educational background and passion for art and history have significantly influenced his writing, particularly in his well-known Jonathan Argyll/Art History Mystery series.
Before turning to writing, Pears worked as a reporter for the BBC, Channel 4 (UK), and ZDF (Germany), gaining valuable experience in journalism. He also served as a correspondent for Reuters from 1982 to 1990 in Italy, France, the UK, and the US. In 1987, he became a Getty Fellow in the Arts and Humanities at Yale University, further expanding his knowledge and expertise in the arts and humanities.
Pears gained international fame with his best-selling novel An Instance of the Fingerpost, which was translated into several languages. His writing combines his skills as an art historian, journalist, and novelist, resulting in engaging and informative historical and contemporary mystery novels. He currently resides in Oxford, England, with his wife and children.