Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian physician and writer of short stories and plays, including the masterpieces: 'Uncle Vanya', 'The Seagull', and 'The Cherry Orchard'.Ronald Wilks has translated many Russian works of literature including, for Penguin, those of Gorky, Sologub, Tolstoy, and Pushkin. He is the translator of our three volumes of Chekhov's short stories.John Sutherland teaches English at University College London and at Caltech. He is the author of several volumes of literary puzzles, including Was Heathcliffe a Murderer? His Life of Stephen Spender will be published in May 2004.