About the Author

Philip Crawford is a novelist, journalist, and jazz musician based in Paris. 

Originally from Summit, New Jersey, Philip finished high school in 1972, then attended college part-time and began concentrating on a musical career—ultimately spending the decade of his twenties as a professional pianist in clubs, hotels, and restaurants throughout New England, USA.

He returned to school at age 31, entering Amherst College in fall 1986 as a sophomore. Following graduation in 1989, he began a journalism career, eventually relocating to Paris in fall 1991. There, he began freelance writing for the International Herald Tribune (IHT), now known as The New York Times International Edition.

At the IHT, Philip initially wrote for the weekend investing section, The Money Report, then branched out to other sections—including features, special reports, the op-ed page, and sports—before being brought onto the staff as a business-desk editor in early 1995. He returned to school part-time in 1997–99 to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Barcelona campus), then left the IHT in 2001 to move into the corporate writing sector, where he is still active.

On the musical side, Philip continues to perform in Parisian venues with a trio/quartet, a big band, and as a solo artist. Over the years, he has played at the Hôtel Plaza-Athénée, Maxim’s, and at jazz clubs such as Le Petit Journal Saint-Michel, Le Petit Journal Montparnasse, Café Universel, and the Swan Bar.

Something I Keep Upstairs is his first novel.