UCL philosophy graduate Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-selling authors, whose books have sold over 199 million copies in over 80 countries.
Ken Follett had an unconventional upbringing. Raised by devout Christians in a religious sect in Wales, he had significant doubts about the religion he was being raised in.
I had been trying to make up my mind whether I was a believer or not and I thought Philosophy would help me. Within the first year of studying here, I became an atheist, and I have been one ever since.
For Ken, the advantage of studying at UCL was being surrounded by people who “knew a lot more than me. I learned as much from the other students as I did from the faculty”.
Alongside his studies, Ken wrote for Pi Media, UCL’s student newspaper which still operates today. When a review he wrote – for a concert by jazz-rock band Brian Auger & The Trinity – received positive feedback from a fellow student, he felt inspired to start writing more. Ken also developed his political interests at UCL, taking part in anti-apartheid protests and demonstrations against the Vietnam War in Grosvenor Square.
I was always political, but I had never been in an environment where politics was so important to everybody. And that was really very exciting.
He joined the Labour Party after graduating and has remained an active member, meeting his now wife and former Labour MP Barbara Follett whilst campaigning for the party in the 1980s.
Following university, Ken worked as a reporter for five years and later moved to publishing, whilst writing novels in his spare time. His commercial breakthrough came in 1978 with spy thriller Eye of the Needle. In 1989, his runaway commercial success and most acclaimed work, historical epic The Pillars of the Earth, was published and has since sold over 30 million copies. To date, he has written 38 books and several of his works have been turned into screen adaptations.
Ken has also been involved in schemes to promote literacy, serving as President of Dyslexia Action from 1998-2009, as well as organising the National Year of Reading in 1998-1999. He believes in the fundamental power of fiction to affect positive change.
A good writer will make you feel different emotions so when you read a novel, you practice empathy with fictional people. I think people who read fiction are much better at empathizing with others.
Ken received an honorary UCL fellowship in 1995. He shows no signs of slowing down and is currently writing his next book The Deep and Secret Things, to be published in 2027.
