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About Stephen King

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.

Stephen King received the National Medal of Arts from US President Barack Obama on 10th September 2015. This is the highest award for artists given by the US government.  Ahead of the ceremony Stephen King said, “I’m amazed and grateful.”  Previous recipients of the National Medal of Arts include Ray Bradbury, John Updike, Philip Roth, Maurice Sendak, Harper Lee and Maya Angelou.

Stephen King photo © Shane Leonard