Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith (born February 19, 1979 ) is an English author, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the author of Child 44, a novel about the investigation of child murders during the Soviet Union. The book was adapted into a film of the same name, and Smith has written two sequels: The Secret Speech and Agent 6. His first standalone novel, The Farm, was published in 2014.

Personal life and education The son of Swedish mother Barbro and English father Ron, both antiques dealers, Smith was born and raised at Norbury, South London. He went to school at Dulwich College between the years of 1987 and 1997.

Career After completing his studies, Smith worked as a writer and a script editor, including a stint with the BBC. Among his projects was story-lining Cambodia's first soap opera, set in Phnom Penh. In 2007, Ridley Scott optioned the film rights.

Fox 2000 bought the project. A film based on the novel was announced in 2009, with Ridley Scott originally attached as both director and producer. The 2015 film was produced by Scott and his longtime production collaborator Michael Costigan, via Scott Free Productions, and directed by Daniel Espinosa. Child 44 stars Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Charles Dance, and Joel Kinnaman.

Smith's sequel to Child 44, The Secret Speech, was published in April 2009, and the final novel in the trilogy, Agent 6, was published in July 2011. Smith's fourth book, a standalone novel entitled The Farm, was published in February 2014.

Smith also wrote a drama television series, London Spy, which was first broadcast on BBC Two in November 2015.

Smith was selected as executive producer and writer for season 2 of American Crime Story, an FX true crime anthology series. It is titled The Assassination of Gianni Versace and explores the murder of designer Gianni Versace by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.