Marcel Theroux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcel Theroux
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Theroux in 2017
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| Born | 13 June 1968 Kampala, Uganda |
| Occupation | Novelist, television presenter |
| Education | Westminster School |
| Alma mater | Clare College, Cambridge Yale University |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Paul Theroux (father) |
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Marcel Raymond Theroux (born 13 June 1968) is an English-American novelist and broadcaster. He is known for his books like A Stranger in The Earth and The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes: A Paper Chase. For the latter, he won the Somerset Maugham Award in 2002. His other novels include A Blow to the Heart (2006), Far North (2009), and Strange Bodies (2013). Marcel Theroux has also worked in television news in New York City and Boston.
He is the older son of the American travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux. His mother is Anne Castle. His younger brother, Louis Theroux, is also a well-known journalist and television presenter.
Early Life and Education
Marcel Theroux was born in 1968 in Kampala, Uganda. At that time, his American father, Paul Theroux, was teaching at Makerere University. His mother, Anne Castle, is English. The family lived in Singapore for two years, where his father taught at the National University of Singapore.
After moving to England, Theroux grew up in Wandsworth, London. He attended a state primary school. Later, he boarded at Westminster School, where his best friend was Nick Clegg. He then studied English literature at Clare College, Cambridge. He also received a special scholarship to study International Relations at Yale University. There, he focused on Soviet and East European Studies.
Marcel Theroux lives in Tooting, London, and is married. His family name, Theroux, comes from France. It is common in French-speaking countries. His father, Paul Theroux, was born in the United States. He has both French Canadian and Italian family roots.
Career Highlights
Marcel Theroux has had an interesting career in both writing and television.
Television Work
From 2000 to 2002, Theroux presented several documentaries for a show called Unreported World.
In 2004, he presented The End of the World as We Know It. This was part of a TV series about climate change on Channel 4. He was chosen for this role because he didn't know much about climate change at first. He initially thought environmentalists were against new technology. However, through his research, he became convinced that climate change is a very serious global problem. He even suggested that expanding nuclear energy might be the best solution. He reached this idea after interviewing experts. For example, Gerhard Bertz from the insurance company Munich Re told him that payments for natural disasters had increased by 500 percent in 20 years.
In March 2006, Theroux presented Death of a Nation on More4. This program was part of The State of Russia series. In it, he explored Russia's problems after the Soviet Union broke up. These issues included a shrinking population, a growing AIDS epidemic, and the unfair treatment of the Meskhetian Turks. He spoke simple Russian during his interviews for the program.
On 28 September 2008, he presented Oligart: The Great Russian Art Boom on Channel 4. This show looked at how wealthy Russians help keep Russia's art history alive. They do this by buying and showing Russian art.
In March 2009, Theroux presented In Search of Wabi-sabi on BBC Four. This was part of a special 'Hidden Japan' season. Theroux traveled around Japan to explore its unique artistic tastes and culture.
In 2012, he presented another documentary for Unreported World. This one focused on the lives of street children in Ukraine.
In 2017, he presented a documentary for Unreported World that explored the social and economic effects of the rise in Orthodoxy and Russian nationalism under Vladimir Putin.
In 2020, he presented a documentary for Unreported World about middle-aged, single Japanese men's interest in 'Junior Idols'. The documentary explored if this was a cultural quirk or something more serious.
Writing Career
Marcel Theroux is a successful novelist. His novel Far North was published in March 2009. This book is an epic story set in the Siberian taiga in the future.
His novel Strange Bodies won the 2014 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. This is a prestigious award for science fiction books.
