Ben Markovits is a British-American novelist, essayist, and creative writing professor whose career has brought together literature, sport, teaching, and observations about modern family life. Born in California in 1973, Markovits grew up in Texas, London, and Berlin before studying at Yale University and the University of Oxford. After university, he took an unusual route into literature by playing professional basketball in Germany. He later became a novelist whose work has explored relationships, history, social change, family, middle age, and the complicated choices people make throughout their lives. His 2025 novel, The Rest of Our Lives, brought him significant international attention after being shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025.
Quick Bio of Ben Markovits
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Benjamin Markovits |
| Known As | Ben Markovits |
| Birth Year | 1973 |
| Birthplace | California, United States |
| Nationality | British-American |
| Education | Yale University and University of Oxford |
| Profession | Novelist, Essayist, Professor, Creative Writing Teacher |
| Literary Work | Novels, essays, stories, poetry and reviews |
| Notable Novel | The Rest of Our Lives |
| Major Recognition | Booker Prize 2025 shortlist |
| Other Major Award | James Tait Black Prize for Fiction |
| Academic Position | Professor of English at Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Based In | London |
Early Life and Education
Ben Markovits had an internationally influenced childhood. Although he was born in California, he grew up in several places, including Texas, London, and Berlin. Moving between different environments gave him exposure to different cultures and helped shape the perspective that later became visible in his fiction.
Markovits studied at Yale University before continuing his education at the University of Oxford, where he earned an MPhil. His academic background in literature eventually became an important part of both his writing and teaching career. Royal Holloway’s research profile identifies him as a professor in English specializing in creative writing and practice-based research.
His teenage years also contributed to his relationship with books. In a Booker Prize feature, Markovits recalled living in Berlin when he was 17 and reading English-language books while adjusting to another move. He specifically mentioned Robert Graves’s Goodbye to All That as a book that influenced his interest in writing and conversational prose.
Ben Markovits and Professional Basketball
One of the most unusual aspects of Ben Markovits’s biography is his experience as a professional basketball player. After graduating, he played professional basketball in Landshut, Germany. This period gave him direct experience of competitive sport and life outside the academic and literary environments in which he had studied.
Basketball has remained an important thread in Markovits’s writing. His sporting background appears in works such as Playing Days, while basketball also plays a role in his later novel The Rest of Our Lives. His experience in the sport gives his fiction a perspective that is not simply observational; it comes from having participated in the world he sometimes writes about.
This unusual combination of professional sport and literary work is one of the distinctive features of his career.
Beginning of His Writing Career
Markovits gradually established himself as a novelist and literary writer. His bibliography includes a wide range of novels, beginning with The Syme Papers in 2004 and followed by works including Either Side of Winter, Imposture, A Quiet Adjustment, Playing Days, and Childish Loves. Royal Holloway currently lists 12 novels among his published works.
His writing has not been limited to novels. He has also published essays, stories, poetry, and reviews in publications including The Guardian, Granta, The Paris Review, and The New York Times. His subjects have ranged from Romantic literature and literary criticism to American sports.
This range illustrates how Markovits has developed a career that crosses several areas of contemporary writing rather than remaining focused on a single genre or subject.
The Byron Trilogy
An important part of Markovits’s earlier literary work was his trilogy of novels connected with Lord Byron. The books Imposture, A Quiet Adjustment, and Childish Loves form a group of novels exploring Byron and the literary world surrounding him. Royal Holloway describes these three works as a trilogy about Lord Byron.
The trilogy demonstrates Markovits’s interest in historical fiction and the relationship between real historical figures and imaginative storytelling. Rather than restricting himself to contemporary settings, he has repeatedly explored how people and ideas from earlier periods can be reinterpreted through fiction.
You Don’t Have to Live Like This
Another major stage in Markovits’s career came with You Don’t Have to Live Like This, published in 2015. The novel focuses on Detroit and addresses issues surrounding race, urban change, class, and attempts to rebuild communities.
The book received significant recognition, winning the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction in 2015. Markovits also received an Eccles Centre Fellowship from the British Library during the same period.
The novel helped strengthen his reputation as a writer capable of using individual stories to explore broader social and cultural questions.
Other Notable Books
Following You Don’t Have to Live Like This, Markovits continued publishing fiction. His later books include A Weekend in New York, Christmas in Austin, Home Games, and The Sidekick. Royal Holloway records these titles among his published novels.
His work often focuses on people dealing with ordinary but consequential moments. Instead of relying entirely on dramatic events, his novels can examine relationships, personal choices, disappointment, aging, ambition, and changes within families.
He has also received recognition for shorter fiction. His short story “Another, Sad, Bizarre Chapter in Human History” won a Pushcart Prize, while another story, “The Collector,” was shortlisted for the BBC Short Story Award in 2017.
The Rest of Our Lives and the Booker Prize
Markovits reached another significant milestone with The Rest of Our Lives, published by Faber in March 2025. The novel follows Tom Layward, a middle-aged law professor who drives his daughter to university and then continues his journey west instead of immediately returning home. His road trip becomes an opportunity to revisit relationships, family connections, memories, and unresolved questions about his life.
The novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025. The Booker Prize describes it as a story involving family, marriage, middle age, mortality, and self-discovery. The book also incorporates basketball, connecting its fictional journey with an aspect of Markovits’s own background.
Markovits has explained that the novel was partly inspired by the experience of watching his own children grow older and thinking about a particular period of family life coming to an end. He also incorporated his own experience of unexplained symptoms into the story.
Writing and Teaching Career
Alongside his work as an author, Markovits has developed a career in higher education. He is a Professor of English at Royal Holloway, University of London, where his work includes creative writing and practice-based research.
Teaching creative writing complements his literary career because it allows him to engage directly with questions about fiction, storytelling, character development, and the writing process. Royal Holloway has also highlighted his approach to writing and teaching in discussions surrounding The Rest of Our Lives.
Literary Recognition
Markovits’s career has included several forms of literary recognition. He was selected by Granta in 2013 for its Best of Young British Novelists list. He won the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction for You Don’t Have to Live Like This, received a Pushcart Prize, and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.
His 2025 Booker Prize shortlist appearance further increased attention around his work. The Rest of Our Lives was one of six novels shortlisted for the prize that year.
What Makes Ben Markovits’s Work Distinctive?
A recurring feature of Markovits’s career is the combination of personal experience with broader literary and social interests. His background in basketball appears alongside his academic experience, while his international upbringing has given him familiarity with different cultural settings.
His fiction also frequently examines periods of transition. Characters may be dealing with changes in family life, professional uncertainty, relationships, aging, or questions about identity. The Rest of Our Lives is a particularly clear example because its road-trip structure allows the central character to physically travel while also reconsidering his past and future.
For readers interested in contemporary fiction, Markovits offers a body of work that connects personal storytelling with larger questions about family, society, literature, and the passage of time.
Ben Markovits Today
Ben Markovits continues to work as a novelist and academic in London. His career has developed from professional basketball in Germany to an extensive body of fiction, literary criticism, and teaching. With 12 novels listed by Royal Holloway and a 2025 Booker Prize shortlist nomination for The Rest of Our Lives, he has established a long-running presence in contemporary literary fiction.
For readers discovering his work, his bibliography provides several different starting points, from historical fiction about Lord Byron to contemporary stories about relationships, sport, society, and family life. His unusual journey between athletics, academia, and literature makes Ben Markovits a distinctive figure in modern English-language fiction. For more biographies and detailed profiles of writers and other notable personalities, Mating Press continues to offer informative English-language content for its readers.
FAQs About Ben Markovits
Who is Ben Markovits?
Ben Markovits is a British-American novelist, essayist, and professor of English who teaches creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Where was Ben Markovits born?
Ben Markovits was born in California in 1973. He grew up in Texas, London, and Berlin.
Did Ben Markovits play professional basketball?
Yes. After graduating from university, he played professional basketball in Landshut, Germany.
What is Ben Markovits’s most recent novel?
His most recent novel is The Rest of Our Lives, published by Faber in 2025.
Was The Rest of Our Lives shortlisted for the Booker Prize?
Yes. The Rest of Our Lives was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize.
What award did Ben Markovits win for You Don’t Have to Live Like This?
He won the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction for You Don’t Have to Live Like This in 2015.
Where does Ben Markovits teach?
He teaches at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he is a Professor of English.
How many novels has Ben Markovits published?
Royal Holloway’s current profile lists 12 published novels, including The Rest of Our Lives.
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