Rupert Thomson

Rupert Thomson FRSL (born 1955) is an English writer of fiction and non-fiction.

Early life

He was born as Rupert Farquhar-Thomson in 1955 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.[1][2] His mother died when he was eight.[1] Following this he was educated as a boarder at Christ's Hospital School.[2] At the age of seventeen, he was awarded a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge where he studied Medieval History and Political Philosophy.[1] After graduating, he travelled in the US and Mexico, then he lived in Athens where he worked as a private English tutor and attempted to write a novel. In 1978 he moved to London; he worked there as a copywriter until 1982 when he abandoned his job to write full-time.

Writing career

His first novel, Dreams of Leaving, was bought by Liz Calder, and published by Bloomsbury in June 1987.

Author photo, Rupert Thomson.jpg

Thomson has written eleven novels. His third novel, Air and Fire, which was set in Baja California in the late nineteenth century, was shortlisted for the Writers' Guild Fiction Book of the Year. His fourth novel, The Insult, was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize, and appeared on a list of 100 must-read books chosen by David Bowie.[3] His sixth novel, The Book of Revelation, was made into a feature film in 2006 by the Australian writer/director, Ana Kokkinos.[4] In 2007 his eighth novel, Death of a Murderer was shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year.[5]

With his 2010 memoir, This Party's Got to Stop, he ventured into non-fiction for the first time, and explored events surrounding his father's death, and his complex relationship with his brothers and his extended family. This Party's Got to Stop won the Writers' Guild Non Fiction Book of the Year.[6]

His latest novel, Never Anyone But You, which is based on the true story of two extraordinary French women, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, was shortlisted for the 2018 American Library in Paris Book Award.[7]

Thomson has previously lived in Athens, Berlin, New York, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo, and Barcelona but presently resides in South London.

He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2015.[8]

Novels

Memoir
  • This Party's Got to Stop, 2010

References
  1. Goring, Rosemary (9 March 2013). "Rupert Thomson waxes lyrical about Medici Florence". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  2. Nicholas Wroe (8 March 2013). "Rupert Thomson: a life in writing | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  3. Bury, Liz (1 October 2013). "David Bowie's top 100 must-read books". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  4. "BOOK OF REVELATION" interview. Special Broadcasting Service. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  5. Pauli, Michelle (28 November 2006). "Costa kicks off prize sponsorship with populist shortlist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  6. "Writers' Guild Awards 2010". Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  7. Lemasson, Pauline. "2018 American Library in Paris Book Award Longlist | The American Library in Paris". Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  8. "Current Fellows". Royal Society of Literature. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. Taylor, David John (16 April 2005). "Anima Attraction". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  10. Christobel Kent. "Secrecy by Rupert Thomson – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  11. Merritt, Stephanie (15 November 2015). "Katherine Carlyle by Rupert Thomson review – resists easy categories". The Observer. Retrieved 1 April 2018.

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

  1. "Transcript: Rupert Thomson live online | Books". The Guardian. 10 July 2000. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  2. "Interview with Rupert Thomson |". Maudnewton.com. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  3. Strayed, Cheryl (7 May 2015). "Reading Group Center | Knopf Doubleday". Randomhouse.com. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  4. "On the brink of believability. Rupert Thomson's Divided Kingdom". Threemonkeysonline.com. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  5. Thomson, Rupert (1 March 2013). "Fugitive pieces". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  6. A.N. Wilson (8 March 2013). "Wax lyrical". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  7. Stephanie Merritt. "Secrecy by Rupert Thomson – review | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  8. Boyd Tonkin (15 March 2013). "Secrecy, By Rupert Thomson | Culture". The Independent. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  9. Jonathan Gibbs (16 March 2013). "Review: Secrecy, By Rupert Thomson | Culture". The Independent. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
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