'A well-constructed narrative which builds to a page-turning climax' -- Anglo-Spanish Society Quarterly Review 20050701 'The Factory of Light is an intelligent, beguiling story, and Michael Jacobs writes with a sly humour and real affection and understanding for his chosen region that eclipses most other writers of the genre.' -- Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat 'This rusticana a la Espagnola is a heartwarming and informative narrative. It should be read by everyone thinking of buying a house in Spain' -- Independent 'Humorous, touching and dramatic, Factory of Light is a refreshing alternative to the current wave of 'moving to the Med' travelogues, from a skilled writer with a deep knowledge of and concern for, his subject' -- Paul Morrison, Wanderlust 'Jacobs is worth reading for his appetite for the wry, the ironic and the grotesque' -- Anthony Sattin, Sunday Times 'The particular strength of this eloquent, unhurried tale is its depiction of the author's friendship with El Sereno! Theirs is a winning Quixote-Panza double act' -- Miranda France, Daily Telegraph 20030712 'A welcome reminder that close encounters of the Mediterranean kind don't have to be all froth' -- Sunday Times 20030712 'He writes ... with insight, tenderness and wit' -- Sunday Times 20040912 'The descriptions of events and encounters burst with vividness and energy' -- Oxford Mail 20030613

Michael Jacobs was born in Italy and studied Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art, from which he has a doctorate. His numerous books include 'Andalucia', 'Between Hopes and Memories: A Spanish Journey' and most recently 'Alhambra'. He has also translated a number of Spanish and Latin American plays. He is a member of the Andalucian Academy of Gastronomy and in 2002 was made the first foreign knight of 'The Very Noble and Illustrious Order of the Wooden Spoon'. When not in Spain, he lives in London.