Picture a storyteller who juggled jazz, Jeopardy! victories, and a knack for crafting intricate novels—meet Arthur Phillips! Born in Minneapolis in 1969, this American author weaves tales that blend wit, history, and human complexity. From his award-winning debut Prague to the cinematic Angelica, Phillips’s eclectic life fuels stories that captivate and surprise.
The Making of Arthur Phillips
Arthur Peter Monroe Phillips grew up in Minneapolis, where his Jewish heritage and creative household sparked an early love for performance. A child actor by age eight, he later explored jazz saxophone at Berklee College of Music after earning a history degree from Harvard in 1990. His two years in Budapest (1990–1992) immersed him in a post-Communist world, shaping his literary lens. Phillips’s varied career—speechwriter, medical device copywriter, failed entrepreneur, and five-time Jeopardy! champion—infused his writing with a playful, worldly charm.
Arthur Phillips’s Unforgettable Stories
Phillips burst onto the literary scene with Prague (2002), a novel about American expats in 1990s Budapest chasing meaning in a city reborn. Its nostalgic themes and sharp prose earned the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. The Egyptologist (2004), a witty, epistolary tale of a 1922 tomb-hunting scholar, became an international bestseller, showcasing Phillips’s love for unreliable narrators. Angelica (2007), a haunting Victorian ghost story, landed on The Washington Post’s best fiction list and was adapted into a 2015 film. The Tragedy of Arthur (2011), a daring novel featuring a “lost” Shakespeare play penned by Phillips himself, blends memoir and metafiction, earning New York Times Notable Book status. His latest, The King at the Edge of the World (2020), a historical thriller set in Elizabethan England, was praised as a New York Times Editors’ Choice.
Phillips’s style is a kaleidoscope of genres—literary fiction, historical drama, and psychological intrigue. His narratives, often layered with letters, journals, or faux documents, explore authenticity, identity, and the human search for purpose. Critics, including Kirkus Reviews, have hailed him as one of the best American novelists of his generation.
Why Arthur Phillips Matters
Arthur Phillips’s impact lies in his ability to craft stories that resonate across cultures, translated into 27 languages. His novels bridge historical and modern worlds, inviting readers to question truth and narrative. From Budapest’s post-Cold War streets to Elizabethan courts, his settings pulse with life, reflecting his global experiences. Phillips’s work in television, including scripts for Damages and Tokyo Vice, further amplifies his storytelling reach. His innovative approach continues to inspire readers and writers to embrace the unexpected.
- Born: April 23, 1969, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Key Works: Prague, The Egyptologist, Angelica, The Tragedy of Arthur, The King at the Edge of the World
- Awards: Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award, New York Times Notable Books
- Fun Fact: Five-time Jeopardy! champion
Snag Prague or The Tragedy of Arthur and dive into Arthur Phillips’s clever, genre-bending world!