Paul Theroux

Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer. He is best known for his travelogue The Great Railway Bazaar (1975) and his novel The Mosquito Coast, which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1981. Theroux's works of fiction have been adapted into feature films. Besides his writing career, he is also the father of English-American authors and documentary filmmakers Marcel and Louis Theroux. Additionally, he is the brother of authors Alexander Theroux and Peter Theroux, as well as the uncle of American actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux. Born in Medford, Massachusetts to Catholic parents, Theroux's mother was of Italian American descent, and his father had French-Canadian roots. His mother was a former teacher and painter, while his father worked as a shoe factory leather salesman.