World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Simon Sebag Montefiore

サイモン・セバグ・モンティフィオーリ

Simon Sebag Montefiore

Pen Names: Sebag Montefiore（Preferred form of address. He publishes as Simon Sebag Montefiore but prefers to be addressed as Sebag Montefiore.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1965-06-27 （London, England）
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism (Jewish background)
Residence History
London, England

Career

Occupations
Historian, Author, Television presenter
Active Years
1991-
Affiliations
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Visiting Professor of Humanities, University of Buckingham, Trustee, National Portrait Gallery (appointed 2021)
Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Education

Ludgrove School
Country: United Kingdom
Preparatory boarding school (early education)
Harrow School
Country: United Kingdom
Secondary education. Edited the school paper 'The Harrovian'.
Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge
Faculty of History / Department of History
Degree: MA (Cantab), PhD
Country: United Kingdom
Read history; holds an MA (Cantab) and a PhD.

Awards

British Book Awards (History Book of the Year)
2004
Work: Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar
Category: History
Organization: British Book Awards
Result: 受賞
LA Times Book Prize (Best Biography)
2008
Work: Young Stalin
Category: Biography
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: 受賞
Costa Book Award
2008
Work: Young Stalin
Organization: Costa
Result: 受賞
Jewish Book Council (Jewish Book of the Year)
2011
Work: Jerusalem: The Biography
Organization: Jewish Book Council
Result: 受賞
Bruno Kreisky Award for Political Literature
Work: Young Stalin
Organization: Bruno Kreisky Foundation
Result: 受賞
The Political Book Awards (Political Novel of the Year)
2014
Work: One Night in Winter
Category: Fiction
Organization: Political Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Wenjin Book Prize (National Library of China)
Work: Jerusalem: The Biography
Organization: National Library of China (Wenjin Book Prize)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

2003 History / Biography

A detailed biographical history examining Stalin, his court and the power dynamics, presented through vivid portraiture of key figures.

PowerIndividuals and regimeRussian history

Young Stalin

2007 History / Biography

A biography focusing on Stalin's early years and formative experiences before he became a revolutionary leader.

YouthRevolutionFormation of identity

Jerusalem: The Biography

2011 History (urban and religious history)

A sweeping history of Jerusalem from antiquity to the present, depicting the city's religious, political and cultural entanglements through human stories.

Religion and politicsCoexistence and conflictCity narratives
Adaptations
  • [TV drama (in development)] Jerusalem: The Biography (TV adaptation)
Translations
  • Chinese and other translations exist

The Romanovs 1613–1918

2016 History (dynastic history)

A narrative history of the Romanov dynasty, combining biographies of key figures with reconstruction of events in Russian history.

DynastyRise and fall of powerModern Russian history

The World: A Family History of Humanity

2022 World history

A global history that uses families and dynasties as a lens to retell world history through person-centred vignettes.

Family historyTransmission of powerGlobal history

Sashenka

2008 Fiction (historical thriller)

A historical whodunit set in Russia; a fiction work praised for vivid storytelling and historical detail.

Love and betrayalImpact of historyMystery

One Night in Winter

2013 Fiction (historical novel)

A novel set in Stalin's Russia intertwining private lives with political repression.

RepressionLove and sacrificeHistory and the individual
Adaptations
  • [TV (optioned)] One Night in Winter (TV adaptation - optioned)

Bibliography

  • Catherine the Great and Potemkin
  • Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar
  • Young Stalin
  • Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and Women
  • Jerusalem: The Biography
  • The Romanovs 1613–1918
  • The World: A Family History of Humanity
  • Sashenka
  • One Night in Winter
  • Red Sky at Noon

Adaptations

  • Catherine the Great and Potemkin (film development by Angelina Jolie / Universal)
  • Jerusalem: The Biography (TV drama development - Lionsgate)
  • Royal Rabbits of London (animated feature development - Blue Sky Studios / 21st Century Fox)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Narrative, character-centred historical writingStorytelling-driven nonfictionClear and accessible prose
Recurring Motifs
Human side of powerFamilies and dynastiesViolence and passion

Legacy

Simon Sebag Montefiore is an internationally known historian and author noted for vivid characterisation and narrative-driven history and fiction. He has won and been shortlisted for multiple major awards, and his work has influenced both academic and popular audiences with several TV/film adaptations in development.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature

In Popular Culture

  • TV and film adaptation projects of his books (e.g. Jerusalem, Catherine the Great)

Quotes

  • He publishes as Simon Sebag Montefiore, but prefers to be addressed as Sebag Montefiore.
    Source: Biographical note / interview

Trivia

  • Worked in a South African goldmine at age 17.
  • Married to novelist Santa Montefiore; they have two children.
  • Reported to be friends with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.