John Fowles was an English novelist and essayist who wrote some of the most influential and widely read works of the 20th century. He was born in 1926 in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and attended Oxford University, where he studied French and German literature. After graduating, he taught in France and Greece before returning to England to pursue a career in writing. Fowles is best known for his novels The Collector, The Magus, and The French Lieutenant's Woman, all of which explore themes of power, freedom, and identity. His works often feature characters who are searching for meaning in their lives, and his writing style is characterized by its psychological depth and complexity. He also wrote several non-fiction works, including The Tree, a meditation on the natural world, and The Aristos, a philosophical treatise. Fowles was a prolific writer, and his works have been translated into more than 25 languages. He was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for The Magus, and was nominated for the Booker Prize for The French Lieutenant's Woman. He died in 2005, leaving behind a legacy of thought-provoking and timeless works.