Alex Michaelides (born 1977) is a bestselling British Cypriot author and screenwriter. His

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, the psychological thriller '' The Silent Patient,'' is a ''

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'' and '' Sunday Times'' bestseller, with over 6.5 million copies sold.

Biography

Michaelides was born in Cyprus to a Cypriot father and English mother. He studied English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge University. He studied psychotherapy for three years, and worked for two years at a secure unit for young adults. This work provided material and inspiration for his debut novel '' The Silent Patient''.

Work

Michaelides' debut novel, '' The Silent Patient'', was the No. 1 ''New York Times'' Bestseller of Hardcover Fiction in its first week and was the bestselling hardback debut in the US for 2019. It was a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller for seven weeks. On

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, it was the No. 2 most sold for 2019 in their list of Most Sold Books in fiction and named as their number one thriller of 2019. It also won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller of 2019, was chosen as a

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pick and as a Book of the Month in

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. It was shortlisted for a

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for best debut and Barnes and Noble's Book of the Year. Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, is developing ''The Silent Patient'' as a film. Michaelides' second novel, '' The Maidens'', was published on 10 June 2021 by

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(UK) and on 15 June 2021 by Celadon Books (US). It is a psychological detective story about a series of murders at a Cambridge college. The novel debuted at number two on ''The New York Times'' fiction best-seller list for the week ending 19 June 2021. Michaelides also wrote the film ''The Devil You Know'', starring

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, and Jennifer Lawrence, and co-wrote '' The Con Is On'', starring

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Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

Parker Posey Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations. Posey made her film debu ...

, and

Sofia Vergara Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and has ...

Bibliography

* '' The Silent Patient'' (2019) * ''The Maidens'' (2021)

References

1977 births Living people 21st-century English novelists 21st-century British novelists Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge 21st-century British screenwriters {{UK-writer-stub