Theroux, Paul

Theroux, Paul (Edward) (1941–  ) writer; born in Medford, Mass. He studied at the University of Maine (1959–60), the University of Massachusetts (B.A. 1963), and Syracuse University (1963). He was a lecturer in English in Malawi as a member of the Peace Corps (1963–65), but was expelled on the charge of spying. He continued to teach in Uganda (1965–68), and in Singapore (1968–71). He settled in London, England, and wrote novels, short stories, children's books, a screenplay, and numerous travel books. He wrote of the expatriate life, and won critical praise for travel accounts, such as The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia (1975), and for novels, notably The Mosquito Coast (1982). He also wrote a critical appraisal of his teacher and mentor in V. S. Naipaul: An Introduction to His Works (1972).