E. L. James Explained

Pseudonym:E. L. James
Snowqueens Icedragon
Birth Name:Erika Mitchell
Birth Date:7 March 1963
Birth Place:Willesden, London, England
Education:Wycombe High School
Alma Mater:University of Kent
Occupation:Author
Genre:Romance, erotica, fan fiction
Years Active:2011 - present
Children:2

Erika Mitchell (born 7 March 1963),[1] known by her pen name E. L. James, is a British author. She wrote the best-selling Fifty Shades series of erotic romance novels,[2] [3] which spawned a multimedia franchise including a film trilogy of the same name.[4] Prior to this, she wrote the Twilight fan fiction "Master of the Universe" that served as the basis for the Fifty Shades series under the web name Snowqueens Icedragon. In 2019 she published her first book unconnected with the fictional world of Fifty Shades, The Mister, to negative critical reaction.[5] [6] [7]

The Fifty Shades novels have sold over 150 million copies worldwide, over 35 million copies in the United States and set the record in the United Kingdom as the fastest selling paperback of all time.[8] [9] [10] [11] In 2012, Time magazine named her one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People".[12]

Early life

Erika Mitchell was born on 7 March 1963 in Willesden, Middlesex to a Chilean mother and a Scottish father who was a BBC cameraman.[13] She was brought up in Buckinghamshire.[14]

James was educated at the independent Pipers Corner School and at Wycombe High School, a state grammar school for girls in the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, followed by the University of Kent in South East England where she studied history.

After leaving university, James became a studio manager's assistant at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield.

Career

See main article: Fifty Shades trilogy.

James says the idea for the Fifty Shades trilogy began as a response to the vampire novel series Twilight. In late 2008, James saw the movie Twilight, and then became intensely absorbed with the novels that the movie was based on. She read the novels several times over in a period of a few days and then set out to write a sequel to the books. Between January and August 2009, she wrote two such books in quick succession. She says she then discovered the phenomenon of fan fiction, and this inspired her to publish her novels as Kindle books under the pen name "Snowqueens Icedragon". Beginning in August 2009, she then began to write the Fifty Shades books.[15]

James has spoken of her shock at the success of the books. "The explosion of interest has taken me completely by surprise", she said.[16] James has described the Fifty Shades trilogy as "my midlife crisis, writ large. All my fantasies in there, and that's it."[17] She did not start to write until January 2009, as she revealed while still active on FanFiction.Net: "I started writing in January 2009 after I finished the Twilight saga, and I haven't stopped since. I discovered Fan Fiction in August 2009. Since then I have written my two fics and plan on doing at least one more. After that ... who knows?"[18]

In August 2013, James topped the Forbes list of the highest-earning authors due to her book sales[19] with earnings of $95m which included $5m for the film rights to Fifty Shades of Grey.[20]

Personal life

James married Niall Leonard, a novelist and screenwriter from Northern Ireland, in 1987. They have two sons. As of 2012, they live in Brentford, West London.[21]

Awards and honours

Bibliography

Fifty Shades trilogy

Fifty Shades as Told by Christian trilogy

Mister and Missus duology

Filmography

YearTitleNote(s)
2015Fifty Shades of GreyProducer and Cameo
2017Fifty Shades DarkerProducer
2018Fifty Shades FreedProducer
2018Book ClubCameo[27]

Notes and References

  1. News: Acuna . Kirsten . 13 September 2016 . Meet the author behind the steamy 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' phenomenon . 26 May 2018 . Business Insider.
  2. News: Bosman . Julie . 21 May 2012 . Libraries Debate Stocking 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Trilogy . The New York Times.
  3. Luscombe . Belinda . 29 March 2012 . The Shy British Mum Behind 50 Shades of Grey . Time.
  4. News: Belloni . Matthew . 20 February 2013 . Universal Chairman Wants 'Fifty Shades' for Summer 2014, More 'Bourne' and 'Van Helsing' Reboot (Q&A) . 18 June 2013 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. News: Cain . Sian . 17 April 2019 . EL James's The Mister – turns out books and sex can be this bad . The Guardian . www.theguardian.com.
  6. Web site: Faircloth . Kelly . 15 May 2019 . E.L. James's The Mister Fucks a Duck . Jezebel.
  7. Web site: Gilbert . Sophie . 18 April 2019 . The Indelible Awfulness of E. L. James's 'The Mister' . The Atlantic.
  8. News: 2021-03-08 . EL James' 'Freed,' as told by Christian Grey, coming in June . . Associated Press.
  9. News: Doward . Jamie . 2 April 2017 . Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James now worth £37m . The Guardian.
  10. Luscombe . Belinda . E.L. James - Who Should be Time's Person of the Year 2012? . https://web.archive.org/web/20121126170101/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2128881_2128882_2129207,00.html . 2012-11-26 . Time.
  11. News: 10 January 2013 . 'Fifty Shades of Grey' coming in hardcover . 6 July 2013 . Salon.com . Associated Press.
  12. The World's 100 Most Influential People . https://web.archive.org/web/20120419071848/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112140,00.html . 2012-04-19 . Time.
  13. Web site: Index entry . 14 February 2018 . FreeBMD . ONS.
  14. News: Brennan . Zoe . 6 February 2015 . EL James: The shy housewife behind Fifty Shades of Grey . . 7 July 2012.
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20120302022206/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46590258/ns/today-books/t/triple-x-trilogy-novels-has-women-talking-quietly/ Triple-X trilogy of novels has women talking (quietly)
  16. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/07/16/fifty-shades-of-grey-author-e-l-james-exclusive-interview/ "Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James – Exclusive interview"
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20120420041235/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47066520/ns/today-books 'Fifty Shades' author 'stunned' at success of erotic trilogy
  18. Web site: The Lost History of Fifty Shades of Grey . dead . https://archive.today/20140727045638/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/fifty-shades-of-grey-wayback-machine_b49124 . 27 July 2014 . 30 June 2015 . mediabistro.com.
  19. Web site: E.L. James Seals A Spot On List of Britain's Richest Authors . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213248/http://www.themoviefiftyshades.com/e-l-james-earns-over-33m-in-one-year-for-fifty-shades-and-seals-a-spot-on-list-of-britains-richest-author// . 14 July 2014 . 23 June 2014 . Lia.
  20. News: 13 August 2013 . Fifty Shades makes EL James top-earning author . 15 August 2013 . BBC News.
  21. News: Johnson . Steve . Who is E L James? . 31 May 2012 . Chicago Tribune.
  22. News: Flood . Alison . 3 December 2012 . EL James wins 'publishing person of the year' for making erotic fiction 'hot' . 3 December 2012 . . London.
  23. Web site: Driscoll . Molly . 3 December 2012 . E L James as 'Publishing Person of the Year' draws outcry from literary world . 5 December 2012 . The Christian Science Monitor.
  24. News: Flood . Alison . 5 December 2012 . EL James comes out on top at National Book awards . 5 December 2012 . . London.
  25. News: 4 December 2012 . EL James wins at National Book Awards . 14 January 2013 . BBC News.
  26. Web site: Bond . Emily . 22 June 2023 . 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Author on Why So Many Romance Novels Don't Get What They Deserve . Huffington Post.
  27. News: Bradshaw, Peter . 31 May 2018 . Book Club review – simulated sexcom for the over-60s . 28 September 2018 . The Guardian.

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