Tom Holt is a famous British comedian writer. His books are popular with connoisseurs of good stories and novellas written in the fantasy style.
Childhood, adolescence
Tom Holt was born on September 13, 1961 in London. Real name - Thomas Charles Louis Holt. He grew up in a prosperous family. Tom's parents wanted the boy to receive a good education and tried to develop it. Holt studied well, showed a thirst for knowledge. But he did not have a very simple relationship with his peers, he sometimes liked to be alone, to dream, thanks to which he earned the reputation of a strange child.
Tom studied at Westminster School, then at Wadham College, and then entered Oxford School of Law. As a student, Tom began to feel more relaxed and even began to skip. Holt remembers his student years with great fondness. There he met real friends and they spent a lot of time in a bar located not far from the educational institution. There they played billiards, often skipping classes. When it was time to take the first exams, the students who diligently studied and attended all classes passed the exam with triumph. But Holt and his friends didn't fail their exams either. After such a situation, the future writer drew certain conclusions for himself and was not a very diligent student.
After graduating from university, Tom Holt took up legal practice and worked as a lawyer, attorney until 1995. He liked his work, but, as an enthusiastic person, he wanted to prove himself in other areas. As a result, he quit his job and sacrificed a good income, starting to professionally pursue his long-standing hobby - writing books.
Writing career
Tom Holt began to write books during his school years. At the age of 13, he composed his first work. When the teachers read it, they immediately began to call him a child prodigy. Tom did not really like the excitement around all this and he decided to change the genre, began to allow himself to write with humor. During his university years, he wrote 2 small sequels. Holt later wrote a comic fantasy book. This work was published in a wide circulation. Tom has fans. People liked the way he writes. These works were read easily and naturally.
Tom Holt never tried to imitate anyone and was quite independent. But in the genre of humorous fantasy, he was not a pioneer. Before him, Asprin and Pratchett wrote in the same style. But the differences between the works of these three authors are very noticeable. From the very first pages of Tom Holt's books, you can determine who wrote the work. Tom has a surprisingly subtle and original sense of humor. What unites him with Pratchett is that they are both British. Perhaps that is why critics often compare them.
Tom Holt is the author of many comic fantasy. Among his books, the following are especially prominent:
- "We are waiting for someone higher" (1987);
- Faust Among Equals (1994);
- Draw Yourself a Dragon (1998);
- "The sun will rise") 1999).
The Sun Will Rise is a fun book about the confusion of an old corporation. Many may find some points even absurd. English humor in the book is not clear to everyone, but the work has many fans. It is especially liked by those who have an idea of the structure of the bureaucratic apparatus.
Holt's works are interesting not only for their content, but also for their design. Book covers depict fantastic animals or even caricature scenes. The design of the covers very well complements the content of the works. When a reader sees a book on a store shelf or holds it in his hands, he immediately understands that reading such a work will not be boring. One critic wrote that "Tom Holt's free flight imagination is only comparable to the crazy turns on a good motorcycle."
Tom Holt has won numerous literary awards:
- William Crawford Prize (1991)
- World Fantasy Award (2012);
- Locus Prize (2015).
Tom Holt worked with Stephen Nollan. They were preparing for the publication of the autobiography of Margaret Thatcher. Tom is fond of ancient history and is a great connoisseur of it. His knowledge formed the basis of the book "Alexander the Great and the End of the World" (1999).
Tom Holt wrote some of his works under the pseudonym C. J. Parker. It is difficult to say what made him make such a decision. In his interviews, he moves away from this topic. The books released under a pseudonym are slightly different from those that Holt wrote under his own name. There is no peculiar humor in them, they are more serious and deep. When the first works came out, many people did not even know who their real author was. The intrigue persisted for several years and only then was it revealed.
Personal life
Tom Holt is a rather closed person. He does not let anyone into his personal life. Not a single high-profile scandal is associated with the name of the writer. Despite belonging to a creative profession, he is very loyal and constant. Tom Holt has been happily married for a long time. His wife Kim is not a public person. Their whole family lives in Somerset, England. The couple have an adult daughter.
In his free time from writing, Tom Holt enjoys walking, cycling, traveling and discovering something new. Of music, Holt prefers folk music, medieval tunes and classical jazz. Tom often attends concerts of his favorite performers and admits that this is where he draws inspiration for writing books.
Tom Holt does not like to play sports, but tries to lead a healthy lifestyle.
