British writer Douglas Adams was born in 1952. Six foot in height by the age of 12, Adams always 'stood out of the crowd', yet it was his ability to write 'first-class stories' that really differentiated him from the others. Using school as a platform, Adams began a writing career in earnest, including religious poetry, article writing and short stories. Such early success was enough to earn him a place at Cambridge, and the year he graduated, Adams was already producing material for both BBC2, and 'Monty Python'.
Yet despite this apparent rise in status, limited sales forced Adams to take jobs such as hospital porter, barn builder, chicken shed cleaner, and even the bodyguard of a Qatari family. However, Adams most famous and enduring work, is that of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. Originally a concept for a sci-fi radio comedy, the series went on to enjoy numerous adaptations and two years later was immortalised in writing, spawning a series of books that included, 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe'. Tragically, Adams died from a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 49.
