Raymond Khoury
Encyclopedia
Raymond Khoury is a screenwriter and novelist, best known as the author of the 2006 New York Times Bestseller The Last Templar
.
but spent his teenage years in Rye, New York
, where his family moved in 1975 to escape the Lebanese Civil War
. Khoury returned to Lebanon after his graduation from Rye Country Day high school to attend the American University of Beirut
and study architecture. During his time as a student, he also illustrated several children's books for the Oxford University Press
Middle East office. Shortly after Khoury completed his degree, fighting broke out in Lebanon again, and in February 1984 he was evacuated from Beirut
by the U.S. Marine Corps aboard a Chinook helicopter.
Currently, Khoury lives in London
, with his wife and two young daughters.
, Khoury moved to Fontainebleau
, France
, where he earned an MBA from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD). Upon his graduation he returned to London, working in investment banking. It was through this unlikely career path that Khoury became interested in writing, as Khoury was introduced to a Wall Street
investment banker who developed screenplays in his spare time. Taking an idea of his that the two jointly developed, Khoury wrote a screenplay which was a finalist for a Fulbright Fellowship in Screenwriting. His second writing attempt, a semi-autobiographical account of his college years in war-torn Lebanon was also shortlisted for the same award.
In 1996, Khoury optioned the rights to the Melvyn Bragg
novel The Maid of Buttermere and wrote the screenplay adaptation of it. Robert DeNiro soon announced to Variety that he would be producing the movie and playing the lead role. Khoury has also written for the BBC
shows Spooks (known as MI:5 in the United States
) and Waking the Dead.
. After eighteen months of research and writing, Khoury lent the script to a friend who immediately suggested that Khoury turn it into a novel. With Khoury's permission, the friend submitted the screenplay to a book agent. Within a few months (in 1996), Khoury was offered a six-figure advance by a major publisher to create a book based on the screenplay, with the stipulation that the book exclude all references to religion. Although at that time Khoury had not sold any of his other writing work, he declined the money and the book deal.
His pet screenplay set aside, Khoury worked on his screenplays for several years, building a successful career for himself in London and in Hollywood, before a new agent at the William Morris Agency, who he had joined at that point, read his screenplay of The Last Templar and encouraged him to adapt it into a novel. Finally, in September 2002, Khoury began researching and writing the novelized version of his screenplay, which took three years to write. The novel sold quickly, and was first released in the UK in 2005. It soon became a New York Times Bestseller, spending 11 weeks on the hardcover fiction list, and a Number 1 bestseller overseas. It has been translated into thirty-eight languages and published in over forty countries. Although the book shares some general thematic concepts with those of Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown
, Khoury devised his plot before Brown's novels were released.
Following the release of The Sanctuary in August 2007, Khoury wrote his third novel titled The Sign. This was published in the United States on May 19, 2009 as both a traditional hardcover book, and as an electronic book. The Templar Salvation, a sequel to The Last Templar, was published in 2010.
The Last Templar
The Last Templar is a 2005 novel by Raymond Khoury, and also is his debut work. The novel was on the New York Times Bestseller list for 22 months.-Back story:...
.
Early years
Raymond Khoury was born in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
but spent his teenage years in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, where his family moved in 1975 to escape the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. Khoury returned to Lebanon after his graduation from Rye Country Day high school to attend the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
and study architecture. During his time as a student, he also illustrated several children's books for the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
Middle East office. Shortly after Khoury completed his degree, fighting broke out in Lebanon again, and in February 1984 he was evacuated from Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
by the U.S. Marine Corps aboard a Chinook helicopter.
Currently, Khoury lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with his wife and two young daughters.
Early career
After a few months working at a small architectural firm in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Khoury moved to Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he earned an MBA from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD). Upon his graduation he returned to London, working in investment banking. It was through this unlikely career path that Khoury became interested in writing, as Khoury was introduced to a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
investment banker who developed screenplays in his spare time. Taking an idea of his that the two jointly developed, Khoury wrote a screenplay which was a finalist for a Fulbright Fellowship in Screenwriting. His second writing attempt, a semi-autobiographical account of his college years in war-torn Lebanon was also shortlisted for the same award.
In 1996, Khoury optioned the rights to the Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
novel The Maid of Buttermere and wrote the screenplay adaptation of it. Robert DeNiro soon announced to Variety that he would be producing the movie and playing the lead role. Khoury has also written for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
shows Spooks (known as MI:5 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) and Waking the Dead.
Novels
During the early days of his screenwriting career, before he was even able to attract an agent, Khoury completed a screenplay he called The Last Templar, an "epic" thriller about a search for the lost treasure of the Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. After eighteen months of research and writing, Khoury lent the script to a friend who immediately suggested that Khoury turn it into a novel. With Khoury's permission, the friend submitted the screenplay to a book agent. Within a few months (in 1996), Khoury was offered a six-figure advance by a major publisher to create a book based on the screenplay, with the stipulation that the book exclude all references to religion. Although at that time Khoury had not sold any of his other writing work, he declined the money and the book deal.
His pet screenplay set aside, Khoury worked on his screenplays for several years, building a successful career for himself in London and in Hollywood, before a new agent at the William Morris Agency, who he had joined at that point, read his screenplay of The Last Templar and encouraged him to adapt it into a novel. Finally, in September 2002, Khoury began researching and writing the novelized version of his screenplay, which took three years to write. The novel sold quickly, and was first released in the UK in 2005. It soon became a New York Times Bestseller, spending 11 weeks on the hardcover fiction list, and a Number 1 bestseller overseas. It has been translated into thirty-eight languages and published in over forty countries. Although the book shares some general thematic concepts with those of Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
, Khoury devised his plot before Brown's novels were released.
Following the release of The Sanctuary in August 2007, Khoury wrote his third novel titled The Sign. This was published in the United States on May 19, 2009 as both a traditional hardcover book, and as an electronic book. The Templar Salvation, a sequel to The Last Templar, was published in 2010.