C. J. Moore has degrees in modern languages and linguistics from the universities of Oxford and Edinburgh. For many years he worked as author and editor for Heinemann Educational Books. He is well-known as author of the award-winning Ishtar and Tammuz (Frances Lincoln), Peter William Butterblow; The Fire Bird; and Wild Goose Lake (Floris Books). He also edited the concise Carmina Gadelica, a major anthology of Gaelic oral poetry. His most recent book is In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World (Walker Books US, Oxford University Press UK, 2005).