Lee Child, the legendary story spinner best known for his page-turning Jack Reacher epics, just hit the big 7-0. Life Child was born in Birmingham, West Midlands. He has made a truly unrealized career that began many years before he became an incredible name in popular literature. He began his career as a law student. From there, he leapt into the world of television and eventually became a bestselling author, leading a life bursting with experience and creation.
Child read law at the University of Birmingham before pursuing a career in television. As he took on other managerial roles, advertising, and development jobs in the industry, his perspective shifted, providing him hindsight that impacted his later writing. In 1997, Child brought us Killing Floor, the first of 26 (and counting) Jack Reacher novels. That book created an enchanting world that introduced millions to a magical franchise. It launched Child as a household name and literary powerhouse.
To be fair, his novels have experienced extraordinary success outside the pages. In fact, they’ve been modified into two major motion pictures with Tom Cruise as the lead! And Child’s work has made quite the splash on the small screen, too, with an Amazon Prime series. This welcome addition builds on the Jack Reacher universe and brings his nail-biting adventures to new fans.
Now living in the north of England, Child has collaborated with his brother Andrew, a novelist, ever since. Her presence has injected a new energy and perspective as co-author into his world, doing artistic justice to both creators’ growing exploration of new stories and new arcs. The brothers recently headlined the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, where they shared insights into their writing process and the evolution of the Jack Reacher character.
Alongside his literary accomplishments, Child’s personal life consists of a marriage and a daughter. With candid, painful honesty, he grapples with the health conditions that have come to define his life, saying that he has been a 60-year smoker this year. Even so, he’s still productive, healthy, and deeply involved with his readers and the world of letters.
Child’s life experiences have beautifully coiled into his storytelling. His most iconic and special memory, from 1993, stands out even to this day. He did it on the beach of a deserted island in the Bahamas and went all out in a show of adventurous spirit. So, he continues to write and inspire others to write. Rather than larding his tales with additional eroticism, he writes rich, complex narratives that stand out in a field flooded with sexually evocative prose.