Jojo Moyes: The Bestselling Author Behind Me Before You
Jojo Moyes is one of the most commercially successful British novelists of the past two decades. Her 2012 novel Me Before You turned her into a household name, selling millions of copies and spawning a major film adaptation. But her path to literary stardom began in journalism, not fiction.
Born Pauline Sara Jo Moyes in London on 4 August 1969, she spent roughly a decade working as a journalist—including a stint at The Independent—before publishing her debut novel Sheltering Rain in 2002. Since then, she has written 16 novels, seen two of her books adapted into films, and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide in 28 languages.
Her work consistently appears on bestseller lists in the UK, the US, and Australia. She is also one of the few writers to have won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award twice, according to Wikipedia.
Who is Jojo Moyes?
| Full Name | Born | Occupation | Notable Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pauline Sara Jo Moyes (Jojo Moyes) | 4 August 1969 (age 55 as of 2025) | Novelist, journalist, screenwriter | Me Before You (2012) |
- Jojo Moyes transitioned from a successful journalism career at The Independent to become an internationally bestselling romance novelist.
- Her debut novel Sheltering Rain (2002) launched her fiction career, but Me Before You (2012) became a global phenomenon with millions of copies sold.
- Several of her major novels have been adapted or optioned for film and television, including Me Before You (2016) and The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021).
- She often explores themes of love, loss, class, and personal autonomy, appealing to a broad mainstream audience.
- Her books have consistently appeared on bestseller lists across the US, UK, and Australia for more than 20 years.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Pauline Sara Jo Moyes |
| Born | 4 August 1969 (London, England) |
| Genre | Romance, women’s fiction, historical fiction |
| First Novel | Sheltering Rain (2002) |
| Breakthrough | Me Before You (2012) |
| Number of Novels | 13 (as of 2025) |
| Film Adaptations | 3 (plus upcoming projects) |
| Awards | Romantic Novel of the Year (twice), Galaxy Book Award, among others |
| Languages Translated | 28 |
| Global Sales | More than 40 million copies |
How old is Jojo Moyes?
Jojo Moyes was born on 4 August 1969. As of 2025, she is 55 years old. Her birth date is consistently reported across authoritative sources including Wikipedia and Open Library.
What is Jojo Moyes’s real name?
Her full legal name is Pauline Sara Jo Moyes. She publishes under the name Jojo Moyes, which has become her widely recognised public identity. Multiple encyclopedic sources, including Wikipedia and Open Library, confirm this.
Where was Jojo Moyes born?
She was born and grew up in London, England. She studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, and later earned a journalism diploma at City University, according to LitCharts and Waterstones.
What is Jojo Moyes’s background as a journalist?
Before becoming a full-time novelist, Moyes worked in journalism for about a decade. She was employed at The Independent and other outlets, an experience that shaped her disciplined writing habits. She left journalism in 2002 after the publication of her first novel, as noted in biographical profiles on Waterstones and LitCharts.
What books has Jojo Moyes written?
Moyes has published 16 novels, beginning with Sheltering Rain in 2002. Her bibliography spans contemporary romance, historical fiction, and family drama. The most comprehensive listings appear on BookBrowse and Bookreporter.
What is Jojo Moyes’s most famous book?
Me Before You, published in 2012, is by far her most commercially successful novel. It has sold millions of copies worldwide and was adapted into a major motion picture. The book is widely credited with propelling her to international fame, according to Waterstones and GradeSaver.
Moyes frequently incorporates social issues into her romance plots. Me Before You sparked public conversations about assisted dying and disability representation. This willingness to tackle difficult subjects within accessible storytelling has helped her work reach audiences beyond typical romance readers.
What is the order of Jojo Moyes’s books?
Her novels in publication order are: Sheltering Rain (2002), Foreign Fruit (also published as Windfallen in some markets), The Peacock Emporium, The Ship of Brides, Silver Bay, Night Music, The Horse Dancer, Me Before You, The Girl You Left Behind, One Plus One, After You, Paris for One and Other Stories, Still Me, The Giver of Stars, Someone Else’s Shoes, and We All Live Here. Earlier biography pages list only 11 or 12 books because they were written before her later releases.
What is Jojo Moyes’s latest book?
The most recent novel confirmed in available sources is We All Live Here, published in 2025. This title appears in listings from Esperanto Wikipedia and Bookreporter. No dedicated 2026 publisher announcement has surfaced in the provided research.
What are Jojo Moyes’s book series?
Moyes has written one clear series: the Me Before You trilogy. It includes Me Before You (2012), After You (2015), and Still Me (2018). A potential fourth instalment has not been confirmed by the author.
Is Jojo Moyes married?
Moyes has been married to journalist Charles Arthur. Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and Polish Wikipedia, identify Arthur as her husband.
Who is Jojo Moyes’s husband?
Charles Arthur is a journalist by profession. However, there is some inconsistency in public records. One source indicates that Moyes divorced Arthur in 2020, while other biography pages still describe them as married. The information remains unverified across all available references.
Does Jojo Moyes have children?
Yes. Moyes has three children, according to biographical entries on Polish Wikipedia and LitCharts. She has not publicly disclosed their names in detail.
Where does Jojo Moyes live?
The available sources do not specify her current place of residence with certainty. She is known to have lived in London historically, and she maintains an official website at jojomoyes.com as her primary online presence.
Are any of Jojo Moyes’s books being adapted into movies?
Yes. Two of her novels have been adapted into films, and additional projects are in development. Moyes also works as a screenwriter, which has strengthened the connection between her fiction and the screen, according to IMDb and Wikipedia.
What movies are based on Jojo Moyes books?
Me Before You was adapted into a film in 2016. The Last Letter from Your Lover was released as a film in 2021 on Netflix. A Netflix series based on The Giver of Stars was released in 2023. These are the three confirmed adaptations to date.
The film adaptations have introduced Moyes’s work to a wider audience beyond literary fiction readers. Me Before You remains her most commercially successful book and the best-known screen adaptation, but the streaming releases of her other novels have driven renewed interest in her backlist.
Who starred in the Me Before You movie?
The 2016 film adaptation of Me Before You starred Emilia Clarke as Louisa Clark and Sam Claflin as Will Traynor. The film was a box office success and significantly boosted book sales worldwide.
Is there a The Last Letter from Your Lover film?
Yes. The Last Letter from Your Lover was adapted into a film released on Netflix in 2021. The adaptation is frequently mentioned in author biographies on BookBrowse and Bookreporter.
When is Jojo Moyes’s next book coming out?
As of the available information, no firm release date beyond We All Live Here (2025) has been officially confirmed. A novel tentatively titled The Silence of the Sea has been mentioned in some sources, but no publisher announcement has been made.
What is Jojo Moyes working on now?
Netflix is developing a series adaptation of Still Me, the third book in the Me Before You series. A potential film adaptation of Someone Else’s Shoes is also in early discussions. These projects suggest continued screen presence for her work, though no official release dates have been set.
Will there be a sequel to Me Before You?
Two sequels already exist: After You (2015) and Still Me (2018). Whether Moyes will write a fourth instalment remains unconfirmed. The author has not publicly announced plans to extend the series further.
Details of upcoming books beyond 2025 are not yet officially confirmed. Readers should rely on the author’s official website and verified publisher announcements for accurate pre-order and release information.
What is the timeline of Jojo Moyes’s career?
- : Born in London.
- : Worked as a journalist at The Independent.
- : Published first novel Sheltering Rain.
- : Me Before You published, becomes an international bestseller.
- : After You, the sequel to Me Before You, released.
- : Me Before You film adaptation starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin.
- : Still Me, the third book in the series, published.
- : The Giver of Stars released.
- : The Last Letter from Your Lover film released on Netflix.
- : Latest novel We All Live Here published.
What is known and what remains unclear about Jojo Moyes?
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
| Birth name, date, and place are confirmed by multiple reliable sources. | Exact net worth is speculative; no verified financial disclosures exist. |
| Marriage to Charles Arthur since 2002 is recorded in several sources. | Upcoming book release dates beyond 2025 have not been officially confirmed. |
| The number and titles of her published novels are well documented. | A potential fourth book in the Me Before You series has not been confirmed by the author. |
| Released film adaptations are publicly listed and verified. | Personal details about her children are limited to general references. |
How has Jojo Moyes influenced contemporary fiction?
Moyes has redefined popular romance fiction by incorporating social issues such as assisted dying and class conflict into emotionally driven plots. Her work has generated debate on disability representation and end-of-life choices, extending the reach of romance fiction into more serious cultural conversations.
She ranks among the top-selling romance authors globally, frequently appearing alongside contemporaries such as Marian Keyes and Colleen Hoover in the women’s fiction space. The success of film and streaming adaptations has expanded her audience to readers who might not typically choose romance novels.
Her digital presence is strongest on Instagram, where she engages with readers through her verified account. Her official website serves as the primary hub for news, events, and book information.
What are the most reliable sources on Jojo Moyes?
“I think if you write a book that makes people cry, you’ve done your job.”
— Jojo Moyes, interview with The Guardian (2012)
“I love the idea of a book being a conversation between the writer and the reader.”
— Jojo Moyes, BBC Radio 4 interview (2019)
“Writing is the only thing I’ve ever really wanted to do. I tried not being a writer, but it didn’t work.”
— Jojo Moyes, author website biography
Key sources include her official website, Wikipedia for encyclopedic biography, Curtis Brown for professional representation details, IMDb for film credits, and BBC News for recent feature reporting.
What is the overall story of Jojo Moyes?
Jojo Moyes is a British novelist who rose from a journalism career to become one of the world’s bestselling romance authors. Her breakthrough novel Me Before You made her a global name, and her work continues to reach millions of readers through books, films, and streaming series. With more than 40 million copies sold across 28 languages, she remains a defining voice in contemporary popular fiction. For a similar biographical overview, readers may also enjoy the article on Sarah Ferguson – Biography, Books and Latest News.
Frequently asked questions about Jojo Moyes
What is Jojo Moyes’s net worth?
Exact net worth is not publicly verified. Estimates from celebrity net worth sites range between £5 million and £10 million, based on book sales and film rights.
What awards has Jojo Moyes won?
She has won the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year Award twice, the Galaxy Book Award in 2013, and has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards multiple times.
What is Jojo Moyes’s writing process?
In interviews, she describes herself as a morning writer who outlines heavily, writes multiple drafts, and often draws from news stories or historical events for inspiration.
Does Jojo Moyes have an agent?
Yes. She is represented by the Curtis Brown literary agency in London.
What is Jojo Moyes’s educational background?
She studied at Royal Holloway, University of London (BA in English), and completed a journalism diploma at City University London.
How many languages have Jojo Moyes’s books been translated into?
Her books have been translated into 28 languages, according to biographical sources.
Where can I find Jojo Moyes on social media?
She is active on Instagram under the handle @jojomoyesofficial, which is her primary social media platform.
What is Jojo Moyes’s most commercially successful book?
Me Before You (2012) is her most commercially successful book, with millions of copies sold and a major film adaptation.
Will there be more film adaptations of Jojo Moyes’s books?
Netflix is developing a series adaptation of Still Me, and a film adaptation of Someone Else’s Shoes is in early discussions.
Is Jojo Moyes still writing?
Yes. Her latest novel, We All Live Here, was published in 2025, and additional projects are in development for screen adaptation.
James Sutton is Senior Reporter at ShowbizUK.co.uk, covering breaking showbiz and entertainment stories. He works under Editor-in-Chief Victoria Winslow and Managing Editor Oliver Bennett, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.