Alex Michaelides

Michaelides was born in Cyprus to a British mother and a Greek Cypriot father; he was raised at the height of the conflict known as the Cyprus Problem, in which the Turkish government occupied the northern part of Cyprus. After high school, Michaelides moved to the United Kingdom, where he got a masters in English literature from Cambridge University. He also studied psychology for several years, even working in a ward for troubled teenagers. After obtaining an M.A. in screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, Michaelides embarked on a career as a screenwriter. In his mid-30s, frustrated with the logistical hurdles of a film production process, Michaelides switched gears, writing and publishing The Silent Patient as his debut novel. The Silent Patient spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and has been optioned for film by Plan B and Annapurna Pictures. In 2021, Michaelides followed up with The Maidens, about a professor of Greek tragedy who is accused of killing his students.