Biography of the day

Ken Follett

by: Jason Oviedo

Ken Follett is an author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold 100 000copies of his works. Four of his books were number one on the New York Times best seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie down with lions, Triple, and World without end.

Follett was born on 5 June 1949 in Cardiff, Wales. He is the oldest child of Martin Follet and Lavinia Follett. Inspired from watching movies and television, he developed an early interest in reading. His family moves to London when he was ten years old, so he studied at Harrow Weald Grammar School and later he studied at Poole Technical College. Follett won an admission to University College London, where he studied philosophy.

Follett began writing fiction as a hobby, later he started to write fiction books because he needed money to fix his car, but the success came with the publication of Eye of the needle in 1978.The pillars of the earth, published in 1989 was on the New York Times best seller list for eighteen weeks. It also reached the No. 1 position in Canada, UK, and Italy. The Novel in Germany was on the best sellers list for six years.

Each Follett’s novels have become a best seller and thank to that he has sold more than 100 000 copies.

List of novels:

•   Amok: King of Legend (1976)
• The Modigliani Scandal (1976)
• The Mystery Hideout (1976)
• The Power Twins (1976)
• Paper Money (1977)
• Capricorn One (1978)
• Eye of the Needle (1978)
• Triple (1979)
• The Key to Rebecca (1980)
• The Man from St. Petersburg (1982)
• Lie Down with Lions (1986)
• Night Over Water (1991)
• A Dangerous Fortune (1993)
• A Place Called Freedom (1995)
• The Third Twin (1996)
• The Hammer of Eden (1998)
• Code to Zero (2000)
• Jackdaws (2001)
• Hornet Flight (2002)
• Whiteout (2004)