Véronique Bizot, author of Gardeners, is a critically acclaimed writer of short stories and novels. She has been awarded numerous literary awards in her home country of France, including the France-Québec Marie-Claire Blais Prize (2012), the SACD Grand Prix du Roman (2010 and 2012), the Prix du Style (2011), and the Lilas Prize (2010). Her stories and novels have been widely praised for her singular voice and sensibility, at once strangely tender, darkly humorous, and hauntingly lyrical—a reflection of her self-diagnosis as “a basically nice person who is burdened by the awareness of the worst aspects of humanity.” In addition to Gardeners, her books include the short story collection Les Sangliers (The Wild Boars) and the novels Mon couronnement (My Award), Un Avenir (A Future), Âme qui vive (Soul on the Lookout), and Une île (An Island). As her first English translation, Gardeners represents Bizot’s long-awaited introduction to Anglophone readers.