Ken Follett Biography
Ken Follett is a British author of thrillers and historical novels who was born in Cardiff, Wales, and brought up in London, England, United Kingdom. He is widely known for his bestselling novels, including “The Pillars of the Earth,” “World Without End,” and “Eye of the Needle.”
Follett studied philosophy at University College London but left without completing his degree to work as a journalist. He began writing fiction in his spare time, and his first novel, “The Big Needle,” was published in 1974 under the pseudonym Simon Myles.
Ken gained widespread recognition with his second novel, “Eye of the Needle,” which was published in 1978 and won the Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America.
Follett’s most famous works are his historical novels, including “The Pillars of the Earth” (1989), a novel set in medieval England that tells the story of the building of a cathedral, and its sequel “World Without End” (2007).
Ken has also written spy thrillers, such as “The Key to Rebecca” (1980) and “The Man from St. Petersburg” (1982), and several other novels in different genres.
Follett is a prolific author, and his novels have sold over 160 million copies worldwide. He has been honored with numerous awards for his contributions to literature, including the Quill Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008.
10 Quick Facts About Ken Follett
- Name: Kenneth Martin Follett
- Age: 74 Years (As of 2023)
- Birthday: 5 June
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Height: 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
- Nationality: British
- Occupation: Author of Thrillers and Historical Novels
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: Under Review
- Net worth: $50 Million
Ken Follett Age
Follett is 74 years old as of 2023, he was born on 5 June 1949, in Cardiff, Wales. He celebrates his birthday on 5 June every year and his birth sign is Gemini.
Ken Follett Height
Follett stands at a height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m).
Ken Follett Weight
Follett Weighs 75 kg (165 Ibs).
Early Life and Education
Follett was born on June 5, 1949, in Cardiff, Wales, and grew up in a family of modest means. His father was a tax inspector, and his mother was a housewife. Follett attended a state-run school in Cardiff, where he excelled in English and history.
After completing his secondary education, Follett enrolled at University College London to study philosophy, but he dropped out before completing his degree to work as a journalist. He began his career as a cub reporter for the South Wales Echo in Cardiff and later worked for several other newspapers in London.
During his time as a journalist, Follett continued to write fiction in his spare time. His first novel, “The Big Needle,” was published in 1974 under the pseudonym Simon Myles, but it was not successful. However, his second novel, “Eye of the Needle,” which he wrote under his own name, became an international bestseller and established his reputation as a novelist.
Rise to Fame
Follett rose to fame with the publication of his novel “Eye of the Needle” in 1978. The book was a critical and commercial success, selling millions of copies worldwide and winning the Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It was also adapted into a film starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan.
Following the success of “Eye of the Needle,” Follett continued to write novels in various genres, including spy thrillers, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction. However, he became best known for his historical novels, including “The Pillars of the Earth,” which was published in 1989 and tells the story of the building of a cathedral in medieval England. The book became an international bestseller and was adapted into a successful television miniseries.
Follett’s other historical novels, including “World Without End” (2007), “Fall of Giants” (2010), and “Winter of the World” (2012), have also been highly successful, selling millions of copies worldwide and garnering critical acclaim. He is known for his meticulous research and attention to historical detail, which has helped to make his novels immersive and engaging for readers.
Today, Follett is one of the most successful and popular authors in the world, with over 160 million copies of his books sold worldwide. He continues to write and publish novels in various genres and has won numerous awards for his contributions to literature.
Ken Follett Family, Parents
Follett was born to his parents Martin Follett and Lavinia (Veenie) Follett in Wales. His father Martin was a tax inspector. He spent his childhood with his two younger siblings, a sister named Hannah and a brother named James.
Ken Follett Wife
Follett is currently married to his wife Barbara Follett (née Hubbard), a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stevenage from 1997 to 2010. The couple tied the knot in 1985. He was previously married to Mary Emma Ruth Elson from 1968 to 1985.
Ken Follett Children
Follett and his ex-wife Mary Emma Ruth Elson have two children together, a son named Emanuele and a daughter named Marie-Claire. Emanuele was born in 1968 and Marie-Claire was born in 1973.
Ken Follett Net Worth
Follett has an estimated net worth of $50 million dollars as of 2023. This includes his assets, money and income. His primary source of income is his career as an author. Through his various sources of income, Ken has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Ken Follett Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Ken.
Ken Follett Wiki
- Full Names: Kenneth Martin Follett
- Popular As: Ken
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Author of Thrillers and Historical Novels
- Nationality: British
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Ken Follett Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 74 years (2023)
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Date of Birth: 5 June 1949
- Place of Birth: Cardiff, Wales
- Birthday: 5 June
Ken Follett Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
- Weight: 75 kg (165 Ibs)
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: White
- Shoe Size: Not Available
Ken Follett Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Martin Follett
- Mother: Lavinia (Veenie) Follett
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Hannah and James
- Marital Status: Married
- Wife/Spouse: Married to Barbara Hubbard
- Dating / Girlfriend: Not Applicable
- Children: Sons (Emanuele Follett) Daughter(s) (Marie-Claire Follett)
Ken Follett Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $50 Million
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Author of Thrillers and Historical Novels
Ken Follett Author
After three years in Cardiff, he returned to London as a general-assignment reporter for the Evening News. Finding the work unchallenging, he eventually left journalism for publishing and became, by the late 1970s, deputy managing director of the small London publisher Everest Books.
Ken also began writing fiction during evenings and weekends as a hobby. Later, he said he began writing books when he needed extra money to fix his car, and the publisher’s advance a fellow journalist had been paid for a thriller was the sum required for the repairs.
Success came gradually at first, but the 1978 publication of Eye of the Needle, which became an international bestseller and sold over 10 million copies, made him both wealthy and internationally famous.
Ken Follett Books In Order
Every one of Ken’s consequent books has likewise turned into a smash hit, positioning high on the New York Times Best Seller list. a number has been adjusted for the screen. As at January 2018, he has distributed 44 books. The initial five smash hits were spy-thrillers:
Eye of the Needle [1978], Triple [1979], The Key to Rebecca [1980], The Man from St. Petersburg [1982] and Lie Down with Lions [1986]. On Wings of Eagles [1983] was the genuine story of how two of Ross Perot’s workers were protected from Iran during the upset of 1979.
The following three books, Night Over Water [1991], A Dangerous Fortune [1993] and A Place Called Freedom [1995] were more authentic than thriller, however, he came back to the thriller kind with The Third Twin [1996] which in the Publishing Trends yearly review of global fiction smash hits for 1997 was positioned no. 2 around the world.
After John Grisham’s The Partner. His next work, The Hammer of Eden [1998], was another contemporary anticipation story pursued by a Cold War spine-chiller, Code to Zero [2000].Ken Follett with the German release of his book Whiteout in October 2005.
Ken came back to the World War II period with his next two books, Jackdaws [2001], a thriller about a gathering of ladies parachuted into France to devastate an indispensable phone trade – which won the Corine Literature Prize for 2003.
Hornet Flight [2002], about a challenging youthful Danish couple who getaway to Britain from involved Denmark, in a modified Hornet Moth biplane with crucial data about German radar. Whiteout (2004) is a contemporary thriller about the burglary of a dangerous infection from an examination lab.
Ken Follett Trilogy
Follett’s novels, Fall of Giants, Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity, make up the Century Trilogy. Fall of Giants (2010) followed the fates of five interrelated families – American, German, Russian, English and Welsh – as they moved through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution and the struggle for women’s suffrage. Fall of Giants, published simultaneously in 14 countries, was internationally popular and topped several best-seller lists.
Winter of the World (2012) picks up where the first book left off, as its five interrelated families enter a time of enormous social, political, and economic turmoil, beginning with the rise of the Third Reich, through the Spanish Civil War and the great dramas of World War II, to the explosions of the American and Soviet atom bombs and the beginning of the long Cold War.
The final novel in the ‘Century’ trilogy, Edge of Eternity, which follows those families through the events of the second half of the 20th century, was published on 16 September 2014. Like the previous two books, it chronicles the lives of five families through the Cold war and civil-rights movements.
Ken Follett Kingsbridge Series
Ken shocked his perusers with his first non-spy thriller, The Pillars of the Earth [1989], a novel about structure a church building in a little English town during the Anarchy in the twelfth century. The tale was exceptionally fruitful, got positive audits and was on the New York Times Best Seller list for 18 weeks.
It additionally has beaten smash hit records in Canada, Britain, and Italy, and was on the German success list for a long time. It has sold 26 million duplicates up until now. On 16 August 2017, it was additionally distributed as a PC game by German engineer and distributer Daedalic Entertainment.
Its a lot later continuation, World Without End 2007, comes back to Kingsbridge 157 years after the fact and highlights the relatives of the characters in Pillars. It centers around the fates of a bunch of individuals as their lives are crushed by the Black Death, the plague that cleared Europe from the center of the fourteenth century.
The following novel in the arrangement, A Column of Fire, was distributed in September 2017. Beginning in 1558, the story pursues the sentiment between Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald over 50 years. It starts when Europe betrays Elizabethan England and the ruler ends up plagued by plots to depose her.
Ken Follett Film Adaptations
Follett has had various books made into movies and TV smaller than normal arrangement: Eye of the Needle was made into an acclaimed film, featuring Donald Sutherland, and six books have been made into TV little arrangement:
The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, On Wings of Eagles, The Third Twin – the rights for which were offered to CBS for $US1,400,000, a record cost at the time – and The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.
These last two have been screened in a few dialects in numerous nations. Ken additionally had an appearance job as the valet in The Third Twin and later as a dealer in The Pillars of the Earth. In 2016, A Dangerous Fortune was likewise adjusted.
Notable Travel, Events, and Experiences
- In 1989, Ken traveled to Spain to research his novel “The Pillars of the Earth.” He spent time studying the architecture of cathedrals and other medieval buildings, which inspired the setting and plot of the novel.
- In 2014, Ken visited Russia to promote his novel “Edge of Eternity” and to participate in the Moscow International Book Fair. He also gave a lecture at the Moscow State University of International Relations.
- In 2016, Ken traveled to Germany to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and to promote his novel “A Column of Fire.” While there, he visited the town of Erfurt, which was the setting for much of the novel.
- Ken has also been a frequent traveler to the United States, where he has given talks and book signings at various events, including BookExpo America and the Miami Book Fair.
In addition to his travel experiences, Follett has also had some notable events and experiences throughout his career. For example:
- In 2010, Ken’s novel “The Pillars of the Earth” was adapted into a television miniseries by Starz. The series starred Ian McShane and Hayley Atwell and was well-received by both critics and audiences.
- In 2012, Ken was awarded the Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for his novel “The Key to Rebecca,” which was originally published in 1980.
- In 2017, Ken published “A Column of Fire,” the third book in his Kingsbridge series. The novel debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
Social Impact: Philanthropic, Charitable and Community Involvement
Ken is known for his philanthropic and charitable work, as well as his involvement in various communities. Some examples of his social impact include:
- Literacy: Ken is a strong advocate for literacy and has donated significant sums of money to organizations like the National Literacy Trust in the UK and the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in the US. In 2013, he also helped launch the Reading is Fundamental campaign in the UK.
- Alzheimer’s research: Ken has been involved in raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research, both because of personal experience with the disease in his family and because it is a major theme in his novel “A Dangerous Fortune.” He has donated to organizations like the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK and the Alzheimer’s Association in the US.
- Children’s welfare: Ken has also been involved in supporting children’s welfare organizations, including the NSPCC in the UK and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the US.
- Political activism: Ken has been a vocal supporter of progressive political causes and has used his platform to advocate for issues like social justice, healthcare reform, and environmental protection.
- Community involvement: Ken has also been involved in various communities throughout his career. For example, he has been a member of the Royal Society of Literature since 1992, and he is a patron of the York Theatre Royal in the UK. He has also given talks and lectures at universities and literary festivals around the world.
Ken Follett Awards Accomplishments and Achievements
- 2018 – Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to literature.
- 2013 – Made a Grand Master at the Edgar Awards in New York.
- 2012 – Winter of the World won the Qué Leer Prize for Best Translated Book of that year in Spain.
- 2010 – Fall of Giants won the Libri Golden Book Award for Best Fiction Title in Hungary that year.
- 2010 – Made a Grand Master at Thrillerfest V in New York.
- 2008 – Won the Olaguibel Prize for contributing to the promotion and awareness of architecture.
- 2008 – Made an Honorary Doctor of Literature by The University of Exeter.
- 2007 – Made an Honorary Doctor of Literature by The University of Glamorgan.
- 2007 – Made an Honorary Doctor of Literature by Saginaw Valley State University.
- 2003 – 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 from the Mystery Writers of America.
Legacy
Ken has had a significant impact on the literary world and on popular culture more broadly. His legacy can be seen in a number of ways:
- Historical fiction: Ken is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential writers of historical fiction. His novels have been praised for their rich detail, vivid characters, and engaging plots, and they have helped to popularize the genre among mainstream readers.
- Bestselling author: Ken has sold over 160 million copies of his books worldwide, making him one of the most commercially successful authors of all time. His novels have been translated into over 30 languages, and they continue to attract new readers with each new release.
- Television adaptations: Several of Ken’s novels have been adapted into successful television miniseries, including “The Pillars of the Earth” and “World Without End.” These adaptations have introduced Follett’s work to new audiences and helped to cement his place in popular culture.
- Philanthropy and activism: Ken’s philanthropic and political activism work has also contributed to his legacy. He has been a vocal supporter of literacy, Alzheimer’s research, and progressive political causes, and he has used his platform to promote positive change in the world.
- Inspiration for writers: Finally, Ken’s work has been an inspiration to many other writers. His success and his dedication to the craft of writing have made him a role model for aspiring authors, and his novels continue to be studied and emulated by writers around the world.
Hobbies and Interests
- History: Ken has a passion for history, which is reflected in many of his novels. He has said in interviews that he enjoys doing research for his books and learning about different time periods.
- Travel: Ken has traveled extensively throughout his life, often visiting the locations he writes about in his books. He has said that he finds inspiration for his writing in the places he visits and the people he meets.
- Music: Ken is a fan of classical music and has mentioned in interviews that he listens to it while writing.
- Politics: Ken has been involved in political activism in the past and has spoken out about issues such as Brexit and the importance of freedom of speech.
- Sports: Ken has mentioned in interviews that he enjoys playing tennis and golf, although it is unclear how frequently he participates in these activities.
Personal Beliefs
- Tolerance and Open-mindedness: Ken has expressed a belief in the importance of tolerance and open-mindedness. He has said that he tries to avoid stereotypes in his writing and to portray characters from different backgrounds and with different beliefs in a nuanced and sympathetic way.
- Humanism: Ken has been described as a humanist, which is a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of human values and ethics, rather than religious or supernatural beliefs. His novels often explore themes related to human dignity, compassion, and social justice.
- Environmentalism: Ken has spoken out about the importance of addressing climate change and protecting the environment. In an interview with The Guardian, he said, “I’m not a tree-hugger, but I’m worried about the planet.”
- Democracy and Freedom: Ken has been vocal about his support for democracy and freedom of speech. He has criticized authoritarian regimes and expressed concern about the rise of populism and nationalism in Europe and the United States.
- Gender Equality: Ken has been praised for his portrayal of female characters in his novels, many of whom are strong and independent. He has said that he believes in gender equality and that women’s voices and perspectives are important in literature and in society more broadly.
Quotes
Final Thoughts
Ken is a renowned author known for his historical fiction novels. His passion for history, his commitment to portraying characters in a nuanced and sympathetic way, and his concern for important social and political issues are some of the themes that have emerged from his writing and public statements.
Ken’s books have sold millions of copies and have been translated into multiple languages. His notable quotes, such as his belief in the importance of setting goals and his observation that fear can be disempowered, provide inspiration and insight into his worldview.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Follett
Ken is an accomplished author of thrillers and historical novels who is widely known for his bestselling novels, including “The Pillars of the Earth,” “World Without End,” and “Eye of the Needle.”
Ken is a British national born on 5th June 1949, in Cardiff, Wales.
Ken stands at a height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters).
Yes, Ken is married to Barbara Hubbard. They got married in 1985 and together they have two children. The couple resides in England together with their children.
Ken has an approximate net worth of $50 million. This amount has been accrued from his leading roles in the entertainment industry.
Details about Ken’s salary are not yet disclosed. However, information about how much he makes will be updated as soon as it is available.
Ken is a resident of Hertfordshire, England, UK, we shall upload pictures of his house as soon as we have them.
Ken is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Ken Follett Contacts
Related Biographies
You may also like to read the Bio, Career, Family, Relationship, Body measurements, Net worth, Achievements, and more about:
About InformationCradle Editorial Staff
This Article is produced by InformationCradle Editorial Staff which is a team of expert writers and editors led by Josphat Gachie and trusted by millions of readers worldwide.
We endeavor to keep our content True, Accurate, Correct, Original and Up to Date. For complain, correction or an update, please send us an email to informationcradle@gmail.com. We promise to take corrective measures to the best of our abilities.