Author Wilbur Smith Bio and Signed Books

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VJ Books Presents Author Wilbur Smith!

Wilbur Smith (1933-2021) was born in Central Africa. He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. He became a full-time writer in 1964 after the successful publication of When the Lion Feeds, and has since written more than thirty novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books are now translated into twenty-six languages.

As a baby, he was sick with cerebral malaria for ten days, but made a full recovery. He grew up on a cattle ranch and spent his childhood hunting and hiking. His mother gave him novels of escape and excitement, which piqued his interest in fiction; however, his father dissuaded him from pursuing writing.

After education at Cordwalles Preparatory School, Michaelhouse in Natal and Rhodes University, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, he became a journalist, writing about social conditions in South Africa, but his father's advice to "Get a real job" prompted him to resentfully become a tax accountant.

He published his first novel, When the Lion Feeds, in 1964, written while he worked for Salisbury Inland Revenue. The book gained a film deal and its success encouraged him to become a full-time writer.

His newest title, Nemesis, tells the story of the Reign of Terror, and continues the saga of the Courtney family, who have appeared in over twenty novels. It is one of several novels he left behind upon his death, and is published posthumously.

Wilbur Smith Book List
His website: www.wilbursmithbooks.com
Similar authors: Bernard Cornwell, Jack Higgins, Conn Iggulden, Gary Jennings (aka Junius Podrug)