Timothee de Fombelle

As a child

Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.

As an adult

After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone was his first novel and has been translated into 22 languages. He has since written its sequel, Toby Alone and the Secrets of the Tree, and the Vango series.

As an artist

Passionate about books and theatre, Timothee has been writing since he was young. The stage has been his testing ground but it is life, with its joys and trials, which inspires his real work. A great traveller, Timothee recognises that the writing of Toby Alone has been his best journey so far.

Things you didn't know about Timothee de Fombelle

1. He plays tennis very badly.
2. He's a keen carpenter.
3. He has spent all of his holidays in a chateau in the middle of a forest.
4. He's a great cook.
5. His wife is an amateur boxer.
6. He loves walking for hours.
7. His favourite sound is the crunch of snow beneath one's feet.
8. His favourite authors are Flaubert and Dumas.
9. He dreams of one day travelling in a hot air balloon.
10. He loves writing underneath the trees.