Ken Follett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Follett
CBE FRSL
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| Born | Kenneth Martin Follett 5 June 1949 Cardiff, Wales |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | University College London |
| Period | 1974–present |
| Genre | Thriller, spy novel, historical fiction |
| Notable works | Eye of the Needle The Key to Rebecca The Pillars of the Earth World Without End Whiteout Century Trilogy |
| Spouse |
Mary Emma Ruth Elson
(m. 1968–1985)Barbara Hubbard
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Jann Turner (step-daughter) |
Ken Follett (born 5 June 1949) is a famous author from Wales. He writes exciting thriller books and historical novels. His books are very popular, with over 198 million copies sold worldwide. People in more than 80 countries enjoy reading his stories.
Ken Follett became well-known with his spy thriller Eye of the Needle (1978). Later, he started writing historical fiction. His book The Pillars of the Earth (1989) is a huge story set in medieval England. It became his most famous work. He continues to write both thrillers and historical novels, including his Century Trilogy series. Many of his books have been bestsellers.
Contents
Ken Follett's Early Life and School
Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales, on June 5, 1949. He was the first child of Martin and Lavinia Follett. He had two younger siblings, Hannah and James. His parents did not allow him to watch movies or television. Because of this, he started reading a lot from a young age.
When he was ten, his family moved to London. He began to study harder at Harrow Weald Grammar School. In 1967, he went to University College London. There, he studied philosophy and became interested in politics. He married Mary in 1968, and their son, Emanuele, was born that same year. After college in 1970, he trained as a reporter. He worked for a newspaper in Cardiff. His daughter, Marie-Claire, was born in 1973.
Ken Follett's Writing Career
After working as a reporter in Cardiff, Ken Follett moved back to London. He worked for another newspaper, the Evening News. He found this job a bit boring. So, he left journalism and started working in publishing. He became a manager at a small London publisher called Everest Books.
At first, he wrote stories just for fun in his spare time. He later said he started writing books because he needed money. He needed £200 to fix his car. He was inspired by a friend who got money for writing a thriller. In 2024, Ken Follett signed a big deal with Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group.
Ken Follett's Big Successes
Success for Ken Follett came slowly at first. But everything changed in 1978 with his book Eye of the Needle. This novel became a huge international bestseller. It sold over 10 million copies around the world. This book brought him both wealth and global fame.
Every book Ken Follett has written since then has become a bestseller. Many of them have been turned into movies or TV shows. By January 2018, he had published 44 books. His first five bestsellers were spy thrillers. These included Eye of the Needle (1978) and The Key to Rebecca (1980). On Wings of Eagles (1983) was a true story. It was about two employees rescued from Iran in 1979.
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He also wrote historical novels like Night Over Water (1991). But he returned to thrillers with The Third Twin (1996). This book was very popular worldwide. His next book, The Hammer of Eden (1998), was a modern suspense story. Then came a Cold War thriller, Code to Zero (2000).
Ken Follett wrote two more novels set during Second World War. These were Jackdaws (2001) and Hornet Flight (2002). Jackdaws won the Corine Literature Prize in 2003. Whiteout (2004) is a modern thriller. It is about a dangerous virus being stolen from a lab.
The Kingsbridge Series
Ken Follett surprised his readers with The Pillars of the Earth (1989). This was his first non-spy thriller. It tells the story of building a cathedral in a small English village. This happens during a difficult time in the 12th century. The novel was very successful and stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for eighteen weeks. It sold 26 million copies by 2017. A computer game based on the book was released in 2017.
The next book in the series was World Without End (2007). It takes place 157 years later in Kingsbridge. It follows the lives of people whose lives are changed by the Black Death. This was a terrible plague that spread across Europe in the 14th century.
A Column of Fire (2017) is the third novel in the series. It starts in 1558. The story follows Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald. It shows how Europe turned against Elizabethan England. The queen faced many plots to remove her from power.
A fourth book, The Evening and the Morning (2020), is a prequel. It tells what happened before The Pillars of the Earth. It is set around the year 1000 AD. The story shows how the town of Kingsbridge slowly began. It includes many different people like priests, nobles, and peasants.
The fifth novel, The Armour of Light (2023), is set in 1792. This was around the start of the Industrial Revolution. The book explores the big changes in society. It shows what happened after the Spinning Jenny was invented. The story is set during the Napoleonic wars. It follows characters like a widow and a young woman helping poor children. It also features a man with a failing business and a rich industrialist. The book looks at the human cost of progress.
This series is known for showing how a civilization is built. It covers laws, buildings, customs, and beliefs.
The Century Trilogy
Ken Follett's Century Trilogy includes three novels. They are Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity.
Fall of Giants (2010) follows five families from different countries. These families are Welsh, American, German, Russian, and English. Their lives are connected through major events like the First World War and the Russian Revolution. It also covers the fight for women's right to vote. Fall of Giants was published in 14 countries at once. It was very popular and topped many bestseller lists.
Winter of the World (2012) continues the story of these five families. They live through big social and political changes. This includes the rise of Nazi Germany and the Spanish Civil War. It also covers World War II and the start of the Cold War.
The last book in the trilogy is Edge of Eternity. It was published on September 16, 2014. This book follows the families through the second half of the 20th century. It covers events like the Cold War and the civil rights movements.
Books and Stories on Screen
Many of Ken Follett's novels have been made into films or TV mini-series. Eye of the Needle became a well-known film starring Donald Sutherland. Six of his novels have been made into TV mini-series. These include The Key to Rebecca and On Wings of Eagles (1986). The Third Twin was sold to CBS for a record price at the time. The Pillars of the Earth (2010) and World Without End (2012) were also adapted.
A video game called Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth was released in parts from 2017 to 2018. Ken Follett himself had small acting roles in The Third Twin and The Pillars of the Earth. In 2016, A Dangerous Fortune was also adapted.
Pillars of the Earth and A Column of Fire have also been turned into musicals in Danish. Pillars of the Earth first showed on October 12, 2016, in Copenhagen. A Column of Fire premiered in 2019.
Ken Follett's Public Work
Ken Follett is part of several groups that help promote reading and writing. He is also involved in many charities in his hometown of Stevenage.
- He was the Chair of the National Year of Reading from 1998–99. This was a British government plan to improve reading skills.
- He is a Fellow of University College, London (since 1994).
- He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
- He was President of Dyslexia Action from 1998–2009.
- He is a Trustee of the National Literacy Trust (since 1996).
He has helped many charities in Stevenage. He was also a governor at Roebuck Primary School for ten years. He was the Chair of Governors for four of those years.
In 2010, Ken Follett and 54 other public figures signed a letter. It was published in The Guardian newspaper. The letter stated their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK. He has also given money to political campaigns.
Ken Follett's old papers and writings are kept at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, USA. These include his notes, early drafts, and original manuscripts. Ken Follett has said his favorite book is The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat. He likes how it shows naval warfare and human strength during World War II.
Awards and Honors
Ken Follett has received many awards for his writing:
- 2019 – He was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Warwick.
- 2018 – He was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for his contributions to literature.
- 2018 – He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).
- 2013 – He was named a Grand Master at the Edgar Awards in New York.
- 2012 – His book Winter of the World won the Qué Leer Prize in Spain.
- 2010 – Fall of Giants won the Libri Golden Book Award in Hungary.
- 2008 – He won the Olaguibel Prize for helping promote architecture.
- 2007 – He was made an Honorary Doctor of Literature by the University of Glamorgan.
- 2003 – His book Jackdaws won the Corine Literature Prize in Bavaria.
- 1999 – Hammer of Eden won the Premio Bancarella literary prize in Italy.
- 1979 – Eye of the Needle won the Edgar Best Novel Award.
Ken Follett's Personal Life
In the late 1970s, Ken Follett became involved with Britain's Labour Party. Through his political activities, he met Barbara Broer. She was a Labour Party official. They married in 1984. Barbara later became a Member of Parliament for Stevenage. She was re-elected several times. Ken Follett continues to be a strong supporter of the Labour Party.
When he was in college, Ken Follett decided he did not believe in his parents' strict faith. He became an atheist. As of 2022, he still considers himself an atheist, but he feels he has a "spiritual life."
He enjoys playing music as a hobby. ..... He also sometimes plays a bass balalaika with a folk group called Clog Iron.
Ken Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara.
See also
In Spanish: Ken Follett para niños
