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Follett's parents were members of the Plymouth Brethren, a Protestant sect akin to the Baptists. He was prohibited from watching television, listening to the radio, or going to the cinema. From a young age, he displayed a strong interest in literature, reading works by H.G. Wells and Ian Fleming by the age of seven. In 1959, when he was ten, his family relocated to London, where he completed his schooling. He later studied philosophy at the University of London, driven by a critical curiosity about world religions, seeking an explanation he could comprehend. During this time, his girlfriend Mary became pregnant, and they married at the end of his first semester in 1968.
In 1970, he earned his bachelor's degree (B.A.) in London and began his career as a reporter and rock music columnist for the South Wales Echo, sparking his interest in writing. He also completed a three-month journalism course. From 1973 to 1974, he worked as a journalist for the London Evening News. That same year, his daughter Marie-Claire was born. He also started his writing career with short stories and novels. In 1974, he became editor-in-chief and deputy director of the London publishing house Everest Books. Concurrently, he published early works such as The Big Needle (1947) and the crime novel The Modigliani Scandal (1976), using pseudonyms like Simon Myles and Zachary Stone.
In 1978, his spy novel The Needle was published, becoming a bestseller and earning him international fame. The book sold approximately twelve million copies, won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award, and was adapted into a film starring Donald Sutherland. The success allowed Follett to dedicate himself exclusively to writing. He moved to a villa in southern France, where he wrote the successful novel Triple (1980). In 1983, Follett relocated to Surrey with his family and became known as a supporter of the Labour Party. There, he met Barbara Broer, a member of the British House of Commons, whom he married after his divorce in 1985. The couple settled in Hertfordshire and Chelsea, London.
Besides writing, he played bass guitar in the band Damn Right I've Got the Blues. Over the years, he published more thrillers and engaged in social work through various clubs and associations. In 1990, his novel The Pillars of the Earth was released, depicting the construction of a cathedral in medieval England; it was adapted into a four-part television series by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan in 2010. Follett had found his niche in historical novels, striving to make them as historically accurate and detailed as possible through thorough research. This approach created vivid historical worlds that illuminated all aspects of an era, offering well-founded historical insights. He became one of the most widely read authors of his time.
His monumental "Century Saga" trilogy further cemented his reputation for meticulous research and historical depiction. The historical novel Fall of the Titans, published in 2010, began the series, focusing on the lives of three families in the 20th century. The goal was to capture a global historical panorama and create a form of global literature. Winter of the World followed in 2012, and the trilogy concluded with Children of Freedom in 2014.
