Scarlett Thomas is an internationally bestselling novelist, screenwriter and stand-up comedian.

She is the author of novels including The End of Mr. Y, The Seed Collectors, Oligarchy, The Sleepwalkers and The Runner, as well as her acclaimed book on writing and creativity Monkeys with Typewriters. Scarlett’s work has been translated around the world and has been widely praised for combining big ideas, dark humour and compelling storytelling.

The New York Times has described her as a “peculiar gonzo genius”, while The Times has called her “wickedly funny”. Her novels have been bestsellers in the UK and internationally, with The Sleepwalkers reaching #2 on the Times bestseller list in 2025.

Scarlett is also a professional stand-up comedian, performing regularly in London and across the UK. Her comedy combines observational stand-up, one-liners and original songs, drawing on everything from dogs, football and modern relationships to books, writers and the strange business of being a human being. She also works as an MC and is currently developing longer-form comedy material.

Scarlett’s background as a novelist increasingly feeds into her comedy. After spending most of her adult life thinking about stories, characters, language and why people behave as they do, she has discovered that these are also surprisingly useful things to know when standing in front of strangers with a microphone.

Scarlett also writes for television and film. Her screen work has included commissioned development and optioned projects with major broadcasters and production companies including BBC Studios and Universal International, and she is currently developing several original projects for television and film.

Before becoming a full-time writer and performer, Scarlett taught creative writing and contemporary fiction at the University of Kent. She is now an Honorary Professor of Creative Writing at the university and is the author of Monkeys with Typewriters, her practical and philosophical guide to writing fiction.

Across fiction, screenwriting and comedy, Scarlett’s work is driven by curiosity: about people, stories, ideas and what happens when you try something you don’t yet know how to do. She is particularly interested in the relationship between high and low culture, seriousness and absurdity, expertise and beginner’s mind - and in making intelligent work that never requires an audience to prove how clever they are.

Scarlett is currently performing stand-up around the UK, developing new screen projects and working on her next novel and a book about comedy.