Ken Follett

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. He studied philosophy in London and worked as a columnist for the South Wales Echo and later for the Evening News. He wrote his first works while simultaneously practicing journalism. His first major success came in 1978 with "Eye of the Needle," which won the Edgar Award and sold over ten million copies. His subsequent books, "Triple," "The Key to Rebecca," "The Man from St. Petersburg," "On Wings of Eagles," and "Lie Down with Lions," were equally successful. In 1989, he published his novel "The Pillars of the Earth," which remained on the "New York Times" bestseller list for eighteen weeks, reached the number one spot in Canada, the UK, and Italy, stayed on the German lists for six years, and is now considered a classic worldwide. This was followed by "Night Over Water," "A Dangerous Fortune," and "A Place Called Freedom." In 1997, his book "The Third Twin" was the second best-selling novel globally, after John Grisham's "The Partner." His success continued with "The Hammer of Eden," "Code to Zero," "Jackdaws," for which he was awarded the Corine Prize in 2003, and "Hornet Flight," his seventeenth novel. Many of his works have been adapted into successful films and TV series. He has also written children's books and screenplays. Besides literature, his great passions are Shakespearean theater and music. Among other roles, he is the president of the Dyslexia Institute, an advisor for the National Literacy Trust, and a member of the Royal Society of Arts. He lives with his wife in London. He maintains his own website: www.ken-follet.com.