简•莫里斯（Jan Morris），集诗人、小说家、旅游文学作家于一身，一九二六年出生于英国威尔士。曾担任《泰晤士报》与《卫报》记者，后专事写作。皇家文学学会的会员，并获颁大英帝国勋章（OBE），也是韦尔斯大学荣誉文学博士。

著作超过三十部，包括小说、历史与旅行文学作品。除了有关大英帝国的名作《大不列颠治下的和平》（Pax Britannica）三部曲外，还有关于牛津、曼哈顿、悉尼、威尼斯，香港、西班牙和韦尔斯的记述，二本自传式著作、六册旅游散文集；小说《哈弗的最后来信》（Last letters from Hav）曾入选英国布克文学奖。莫里斯被《泰晤士报》评选为二战后英国最伟大的十五名作家之一。

With her travel chronicles unparalleled in twentieth-century literature, Jan Morris s legendary books on Venice, Manhattan, and Trieste have made her one of our most beloved writers. Now reflecting back on over half a century, Morris has decided to write not about the destinations but about the people she has encountered. Whether writing as James or later as Jan, Morris introduces us to a panoply of memorable characters the Sherpa guide who first scaled Mt. Everest, the lascivious Manhattan cabbie, and the proverbial spy in the raincoat. She provides insightful portraits of the famous, such as Harry Truman and Jordan s King Hussein, and glimpses of the infamous, including Adolf Eichmann. Recalling human encounters on six continents, she paints a vibrant, funny, and moving picture of humanity. Ultimately, no figure comes into clearer focus than Morris herself, an astonishing chronicler of the human spectacle. Contact! is one book you ll want to carry with you wherever you go.