Santa Montefiore
| Santa Montefiore | |
|---|---|
Montefiore in 2013
|
|
| Born |
2 February 1970 Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
| Residence | London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Education |
Hanford School Sherborne School for Girls |
| Alma mater | Exeter University |
| Occupation | Author |
| Spouse(s) | Simon Sebag Montefiore |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson |
| Relatives | Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (sister) |
Santa Montefiore (née Palmer-Tomkinson; born 2 February 1970) is a British author.
Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson on 2 February 1970 in Winchester. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, formerly High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson (née Dawson), of Anglo-Argentine background. Her father, and other members of her family, represented Great Britain in skiing at Olympic level. The Palmer-Tomkinson family are substantial land-owners in Leicestershire.
She had a sister, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, known as a "socialite" and charity patron.
Santa Montefiore said that growing up on the family farm gave her an "idyllic Swallows and Amazons childhood". She also describes her upbringing as "sheltered, Sloaney". She was educated at the Hanford School from the age of eight to twelve. She then attended Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, where, in the sixth form, she became Head of her house (a role of responsibility similar to a prefect).
Prior to publishing any novels, she worked in London, first in public relations for the outfitters Swaine Adeney and later for the jeweller Theo Fennell. She also worked as a shop assistant in Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, the perfumery, and in events for Ralph Lauren.
She sent her first manuscript to several literary agents, using a nom de plume in order to distance herself from her sister. Only one agent, Jo Franks of A P Watt, expressed an interest, but this led to a bidding war between several publishers, with Hodder & Stoughton giving her a six-figure advance. Montefiore has published at least one novel a year since 2002. Four of her books are set in Argentina, where she spent 1989 as a gap year teaching English. Her books have been characterised as "beach-read blockbusters", selling over four million copies in 20 translations.
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Wikipedia