Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux is a prolific travel writer and the author of more than 50 highly acclaimed books. His 1981 novel “The Mosquito Coast” won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was later adapted into the 1986 film of the same name. It was later adapted into an Apple TV+ show by his nephew, actor, and screenwriter Justin Theroux. Several of Paul's other books have been made into films and received awards, including the Whitbread Prize for Best Novel (“Picture Palace”) and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award (“Riding the Iron Rooster”). His travelogue “The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas” and “The Mosquito Coast” were both nominated for the American Book Award. In 2015, Paul was awarded a Royal Medal from the Royal Geographical Society for “the encouragement of geographical discovery through travel writing.” In addition to his books, he has written extensively for Time, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian, among other publications. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, Paul began his travels in 1963 after joining the Peace Corps and spending several years in Africa. He has lived in various countries around the world, including Malawi, Uganda, Singapore, and the UK. He currently calls Hawaii and Cape Cod home.

• 45+ years of experience as a writer and novelist
• Author of 50+ acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books
• Won the American Academy and Institute of Arts & Letters Award for literature, the Whitbread Prize, the James Tait Black Award, the Maria Thomas Fiction Award (lifetime achievement), the Patron's Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, and many other awards
• Fellow at the Royal Society of Literature and Royal Geographical Society in the UK
• Received honorary doctorates from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts
• Received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst