Erich Segal

Erich Segal was born in Brooklyn in 1937 and graduated from Harvard in 1957. He taught at Harvard until 1964 and then at Princeton and Yale. He is currently a fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford. An outstanding academic with a significant body of work, his life changed overnight when, in 1970, the film "Love Story," starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw—both of whom were nominated for Oscars—made a global impact. He won the Golden Globe for his screenplay and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Alongside his screenplay, Segal worked on his book, which sold over twenty-one million copies and was translated into thirty-three languages. In 1976, the much-anticipated sequel titled "Oliver's Story" was published, skyrocketing to the top of the bestseller lists. Since then, he has written several novels that have been included in bestseller lists. On February 14, 1989, he was honored in Italy—alongside Mother Teresa and Peter Ustinov—with the San Valentino di Terni Award for "promoting the cause of love, understanding, and peace throughout the world" through his work. In 1998, the French government awarded him the Legion of Honor medal. He is married and has two children.