Paul Theroux author page

Paul Theroux biography

Paul Theroux is an American novelist and travel writer, known for his extensive body of work spanning fiction and non-fiction. He was born in Medford, Massachusetts, and studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Theroux began his career teaching in Malawi with the Peace Corps, an experience that influenced his later writing.

Theroux’s first novel, Waldo, was published in 1967. He gained wider recognition with The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue documenting his journey by train from London through Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, returning via the Trans-Siberian Railway. This book established his reputation as a travel writer and was followed by other notable works in the genre, including The Old Patagonian Express (1979), Riding the Iron Rooster (1988), and Dark Star Safari (2002).

In addition to travel writing, Theroux has published numerous novels. The Mosquito Coast (1981) is among his best-known works and was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1981. Other novels include Saint Jack (1973), My Secret History (1989), and The Lower River (2012).

Theroux’s writing often explores themes of travel, displacement, and cultural encounter. His works have been translated into multiple languages and have received critical recognition. He has also contributed essays and articles to publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times.

In 2015, Theroux published Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads, a travel narrative based on his journeys through the southern United States.