Ben Elton author page

Ben Elton biography

Ben Elton is a British author, playwright, comedian, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in both adult and young adult fiction. Elton studied drama at the University of Manchester. He gained prominence as a writer and performer on the BBC television series The Young Ones and later co-wrote the sitcom Blackadder with Richard Curtis.

Elton’s first novel, Stark, was published in 1989. He has since written several novels, including Gridlock (1991), This Other Eden (1993), Popcorn (1996), Blast from the Past (1998), Dead Famous (2001), High Society (2002), Past Mortem (2004), The First Casualty (2005), Blind Faith (2007), Meltdown (2009), Two Brothers (2012), Time and Time Again (2014), Identity Crisis (2017), and Dead Famous (2019). His books have been published by Transworld Publishers and Bantam Press.

Elton has written for the stage, including the musical We Will Rock You, which premiered in 2002 in collaboration with Queen. He also wrote the book for the musical Love Never Dies with Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In addition to his adult fiction, Elton wrote the young adult novel Meltdown (2009), which addresses contemporary issues for younger readers. His work has been translated into multiple languages and published internationally.

Ben Elton has received several awards, including the British Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year in 2002 for Dead Famous. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2003 for We Will Rock You.