Albert Camus is a French-Algerian author and philosopher widely regarded as one of the most important literary voices of the 20th century. Born in Mondovi, French Algeria, he rose to international acclaim with works including The Stranger, The Plague, and The Myth of Sisyphus, works that continue to be studied as foundational texts of absurdist philosophy and modern literature. Raised in poverty by a widowed mother after his father died in World War I, he went on to work as a journalist and playwright before his writing on the absurdity of human existence and the search for meaning without recourse to religion or traditional systems of belief brought him worldwide recognition. In 1957, at age 44, he became the second-youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded for work that illuminated the problems of the human conscience in his time. Known for his lucid prose and unflinching exploration of meaning, morality, and rebellion in an indifferent universe, Camus's work continues to shape modern philosophy and literary thought and inspire readers across the world.