Christopher Hampton

Like his literary hero, the 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud, writer Christopher Hampton found professional success at a young age. When his play "When Did You Last See My Mother" (1966) opened at the Royal Court Theater in London, Hampton was just 20 years old - the youngest playwright ever to have opened a play in the West End. But unlike Rimbaud, who gave up creative writing altogether before he reached 21, Hampton went on to a long and illustrious career as a playwright, screenwriter, film director and translator. Along the way, he picked up an Academy Award for his screenplay adaptation of the hit film "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988) and enjoyed one of the most charmed writing lives an artist can imagine having, working exclusively on prestigious projects in a variety of mediums.