Simon Rees is a freelance lecturer, writer and translator. For 23 years he was dramaturg (in charge of programmes, surtitles and pre-show talks) for Welsh National Opera. He studied English at Cambridge University, then taught for some years in Italy and Japan. He has published novels, translations and collections of poetry, as well as articles on opera and cultural history. He lectures widely on music, opera, art, architecture, drama, literature and languages, as well as on social, cultural and economic history. He lives in Cardiff.
