Paul Theroux was born and educated in the United States. His many books include Picture Palace, which won the 1978 Whitbread Literary Award; The Mosquito Coast, which was also made into a feature film; Riding the Iron Rooster, which won the 1988 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award; The Pillars of Hercules, shortlisted for the 1996 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award; My Other Life: A Novel, Kowloon Tong, Sir Vidia's Shadow, Fresh-air Fiend and Hotel Honolulu. Most of his books are published by Penguin. Paul Theroux lives in the United States, but he continues to travel widely.