“There are places that I've always wanted to go. First I went to Africa, and when I was there I realized there were places in Africa I really to wanted to visit: The Congo, West Africa, Mombassa. I wanted to see the deep, dark, outlandish places.”

American travel writer and novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Theroux is best known for his vivid, immersive accounts of global journeys and his sharp observations on culture, politics, and human experience. His works span fiction and nonfiction, blending memoir, satire, and ethnographic insight.