Tom Stoppard

Sir Tom Stoppard (born Tomáš Straussler, 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. Born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia, he fled with his family during World War II and later settled in England, where he began his career as a journalist before turning to theatre. He rose to prominence with *Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead* (1966), followed by major plays including *Jumpers*, *Travesties*, and *Arcadia*. Stoppard has also written for film, earning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for *Shakespeare in Love* (1998). He was knighted in 1997.