Pierre Maurel was born in 1977 and currently lives and works in Carcassonne, France. Receiving praise for politicised work that explores the social malaise of the 2000s, he is known for his expressive black and white art and realistic dialogue. Departures is his first work to be translated into English, and was part of the official selection of the 2009 edition of the prestigious Angouleme International Comic Festival.