Sebastian Faulks
A British novelist who tunnels into the seismic events of 20th-century history to unearth the intimate, enduring truths of the human heart.
Born 1953 (age 73)·British novelist, journalist and broadcaster·Birthday: April 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sebastian Faulks approaches the grand canvas of history with a journalist's eye for detail and a novelist's feel for emotional truth. After a stint in journalism, including time at the Independent, he found his literary voice by setting his stories against the backdrop of a Europe torn apart by war. His breakthrough came with 'Birdsong' (1993), a visceral and devastating portrayal of love and trauma in the trenches of World War I that became a modern classic. Faulks doesn't just recount historical events; he immerses the reader in the sensory and psychological reality of the past, whether in the French Resistance of 'Charlotte Gray' or the psychiatric world of 'Human Traces.' While best known for his French trilogy, his range is broad, encompassing satires of finance, a James Bond continuation novel, and explorations of consciousness. His work is defined by its intellectual seriousness, its narrative drive, and a profound compassion for characters navigating the currents of history.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Sebastian was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sebastian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Sebastian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored 'Birdsong,' a landmark novel of World War I that has sold millions of copies worldwide and been adapted for television and stage.
- Completed the 'French Trilogy' with 'The Girl at the Lion d'Or' and 'Charlotte Gray,' cementing his reputation as a master of the historical novel.
- Was chosen by the Ian Fleming estate to write a new James Bond novel, 'Devil May Care,' published in 2008.
- Served as the first literary editor of The Independent on Sunday and later as a regular broadcaster for the BBC.
Did You Know?
Before becoming a full-time novelist, he worked as a feature writer for the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, and the Independent.
Faulks is a keen tennis player and has competed in senior tournaments at Wimbledon.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002 for services to literature.
“The past is not dead. It is not even past. We carry it around with us all the time.”
