Erika Mitchell (born 7 March 1963), known by her pen name E. L. James, is a British author. She wrote the best-selling Fifty Shades series of erotic romance novels, which spawned a multimedia franchise including a film trilogy of the same name. 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.
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. In 2012, Time magazine named her one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People".
Early life Erika Mitchell was born on 7 March 1963, in Willesden, to a Chilean mother and a Scottish father who was a BBC cameraman. She was brought up in Buckinghamshire.
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
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.Triple-X trilogy of novels has women talking (quietly). msnbc. Retrieved 31 May 2012
James has spoken of her shock at the success of the books. "The explosion of interest has taken me completely by surprise", she said."Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James – Exclusive interview" (16 July 2012) Shropshire Star. Retrieved 16 July 2012 James has described the Fifty Shades trilogy as "my midlife crisis, writ large. All my fantasies in there, and that's it."'Fifty Shades' author 'stunned' at success of erotic trilogy TODAY MSNBC 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?"
In August 2013, James topped the Forbes list of the highest-earning authors due to her book sales with earnings of US$95 million which included US$5 million for the film rights to Fifty Shades of Grey.
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.
Awards and honours +Award or honourYearNominated workRefThe Top 100 Most Influential People in the World2012Fifty Shades of GreyPublishing Person of the YearPopular Fiction Book of the YearBook of the YearGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture2016Fifty Shades of GreyGolden Raspberry Award for Worst ScreenplayGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel2018Fifty Shades DarkerGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay2019Fifty Shades Freed
Published works Fifty Shades trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey (2011) Fifty Shades Darker (2012) Fifty Shades Freed (2012)
Fifty Shades as Told by Christian trilogy Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian (2015) Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian (2017) Freed: Fifty Shades Freed as Told by Christian (2021)
Mister and Missus duology The Mister (2019) The Missus (2023)
Land of Ghosts series Land of Ghosts (2026) Land of Dreams (2027)
Filmography Year Title Note(s) 2015Fifty Shades of GreyProducer and Cameo2017Fifty Shades DarkerProducer2018Fifty Shades Freed2018Book ClubCameo
References
External links