Thomas Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Harris
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|
|---|---|
| Born | William Thomas Harris III September 22, 1940 Jackson, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Period | 1975–present |
| Genre | Crime, horror, suspense |
| Notable works | Black Sunday Red Dragon The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Hannibal Rising Cari Mora |
| Spouse |
Harriet Anne Haley
(m. 1961; div. 1968) |
| Partner | Pace Barnes |
| Children | 1 |
William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) is an American writer. He is famous for his exciting suspense novels about a character named Hannibal Lecter. Many of his books have been made into movies and TV shows. One of his most well-known works is The Silence of the Lambs, which became a very successful movie. It was only the third film ever to win all five main Academy Awards (Oscars)!
His books have sold over 50 million copies around the world. The Silence of the Lambs alone sold 10 million copies by 2019.
Contents
About Thomas Harris: His Early Life and Career
Thomas Harris was born in Jackson, Tennessee. When he was a child, his family moved to Rich, Mississippi. He was a quiet student in elementary school but became more outgoing in high school.
He went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he studied English. He graduated in 1964. While in college, he worked as a reporter for a local newspaper, the Waco Tribune-Herald. He often reported on police news. In 1968, he moved to New York City and worked for the Associated Press, a big news agency. He stayed there until 1974, when he started writing his first novel, Black Sunday.
Thomas Harris's Personal Life and Interests
Thomas Harris is a very private person. He doesn't give many interviews and tries to stay out of the public eye.
While at Baylor University, he met Harriet Anne Haley, who was also a student. They got married in June 1961 and had one daughter named Elizabeth Anne. They later divorced in August 1968. Harris was very close to his mother, Polly. He would call her every night, no matter where he was, and they often talked about scenes from his books. Polly passed away in 2011.
Today, Thomas Harris lives in South Florida and has a summer home in Sag Harbor, New York. His long-term partner is Pace Barnes. She used to work in publishing and is known for being more outgoing than Harris.
His friend and literary agent, Morton Janklow, describes Harris as a "good guy." He says Harris is "big, bearded, and wonderfully jovial." If you met him, you might think he was a choirmaster! Harris loves to cook and has even taken cooking exams at Le Cordon Bleu, a famous cooking school. He enjoys preparing meals and is very happy in the kitchen. He also has old-fashioned, polite manners, which people often connect with the Southern United States.
In a rare interview in 2019, Harris shared that he loves nature. For 20 years, he has volunteered at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station in Miami, Florida. This center helps rescue animals. The staff there didn't even know he was a famous writer until a few years before the interview! He said that being famous is "more of a nuisance than anything else."
Movies Based on His Work
Thomas Harris has also worked on screenplays for movies.
- Hannibal Rising (2007; screenplay)
Learn More
In Spanish: Thomas Harris para niños
- Hannibal Lecter (franchise)
