Christopher Buckley, "the quintessential political novelist of his time" according to Fortune magazine, is the winner of the distinguished ninth annual Thurber Prize for American Humor. John Updike calls him "A Benchley with Word-Perfect," and Joseph Heller described him as "an effervescent joy." Tom Wolfe named Buckley "One of the funniest writers in the English language."

Audiences have called Buckley's talks "The wittiest, funniest, wry-est presentation of them all!" and "the best... in the eleven year history of our event."

Buckley is the author of eleven books, many of them national bestsellers, including Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat A First Lady, Washington Schlepped Here and Florence of Arabia. Thank You for Smoking is currently being developed into a major motion picture starring Robert Duvall, Katie Holmes, and Aaron Eckhart. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages, including Russian and Korean.

His latest novel, Florence of Arabia, takes an irreverent and uproarious look at the Middle East, feminism and the American government. Garnering rave reviews, Florence is Buckley's funniest and most serious novel yet, a biting satire showcasing his masterful humor and insight.

As with his writing, Buckley's talks and lectures provide a uniquely humorous perspective on current events and culture that will amuse, enlighten and stimulate every audience. Marked by a savvy understanding of the truth behind the headlines and a perceptive wit that holds no target sacred, Buckley delivers a comedic look at national politics and world affairs.

Buckley was born in New York in 1952. He graduated with honors from Yale University, shipped out with the Merchant Marine and was managing editor of Esquire magazine at the age of 24. At age 29, he published his first best seller, Steaming To Bamboola: The World of a Tramp Freighter and became chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. His experiences during his two years at the White House make up part of his hilarious commentary. He has traveled and adventured far and wide.

In 1989, the late Malcolm Forbes hired him to start a new magazine, Forbes FYI. He has been editor of chief of the publication since then.

Buckley has written for most national newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, The Atlantic Monthly, Smithsonian, US News and World Report, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Conde Nast Traveler. He has published over 50 comic essays in The New Yorker magazine. In 2002, Buckley received the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence.