World Without End - Abridged

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can.

Richard E Grant was born and brought up in Mbabane, Swaziland. He came to London in 1982, where he waitered, repped, toured and fringed until getting a role in a television satire about advertising, Honest, Decent and True. This led to his being cast in the seminal movie Withnail And I (1986). He is the author of a book of film diaries With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E Grant (1996) and the novel By Design: A Hollywood Tale (1998). He has written occasional pieces for the Sunday Times, Observer, Vanity Fair and Premiere Magazine. Richard E Grant lives with his family in London.