Paula Hawkins

Born in Zimbabwe, where her father worked as a professor and financial journalist, Paula Hawkins moved to London, England at the age of 17. After obtaining a degree from the University of Oxford, Hawkins began working as a business reporter for The Times, later publishing a business advice book for women based on her background in politics, philosophy, and economics. After dabbling in freelance journalism and romance-novel-writing, Hawkins turned to crime fiction in the mid-2000s. Her novel The Girl on the Train was published in 2015 to widespread acclaim; it debuted in the number-one slot on The New York Times Best Seller list and remained there for 13 consecutive weeks. The Girl on the Train has sold nearly 20 million copies worldwide, has been translated into over 30 languages, and in 2016 was adapted into a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt and Justin Theroux. Hawkins’s second crime novel, Into the Water, was released in 2017 to mixed reviews. Hawkins lives and writes in South London.