The Rebel Essayist is the French writer and philosopher Albert Camus (CAMUS). He was born in Algeria in 1913 and is best known for his works of fiction, such as The Stranger and The Plague, as well as his philosophical essays, including The Myth of Sisyphus. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. Camus' works are often seen as a reflection of his existentialist beliefs, which focus on the absurdity of human existence and the search for meaning in life.