Michael Golding was born in Philadelphia and educated at Duke, Oxford, and the University of California at Irvine, where he received the Gellman Founder's Award. He began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous Off-Broadway shows.
His first novel, Simple Prayers, was published in 1994. It has been translated into nine foreign languages and a film adaptation is in development. Benjamin's Gift, his second novel, was published in 2000.
Michael's translation of Alessandro Baricco's stage play Novecento opened the 2002 Edinburgh Festival and his screenplay adaptation of the best-selling novel Silk was released in 2007. Directed by Francois Girard and starring Keira Knightley and Alfred Molina, it was a featured selection at the Toronto Film Festival.
Michael has lived in New York, Paris, Venice, London, Amsterdam, and Moscow and resides in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in Northern California. He teaches writing and literature at Yuba College. His third novel is A Poet of the Invisible World.