Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis is an internationally acclaimed novelist, screenwriter and cultural commentator, widely regarded as one of the defining literary voices of his generation. A provocative and incisive speaker, Bret is best known as the author of ‘American Psycho’, the controversial bestseller that cemented his global reputation and continues to influence literature, film and popular culture decades after its release.

Bret grew up surrounded by the affluence and contradictions that would later shape his fiction. He attended The Buckley School before enrolling at Bennington College in Vermont, where he initially studied music and later focused on writing. While still an undergraduate, he completed his debut novel, ‘Less Than Zero’, which was published when he was just 21. The book’s stark portrait of disaffected youth in 1980s Los Angeles became a bestseller and established him as a defining new voice. Early in his career he was associated with the Literary Brat Pack, a group of young writers who captured the mood of their era, yet Bret quickly distinguished himself through his detached, satirical style and unflinching exploration of excess and alienation.

The publication of ‘American Psycho’ in 1991 marked a turning point. Initially condemned for its graphic violence, the novel achieved cult status and is now widely regarded as his magnum opus. Over the following decades, Bret expanded his body of work with novels including ‘Glamorama’, ‘Lunar Park’, ‘Imperial Bedrooms’, and the 2023 bestseller‘The Shards’, a fictionalised memoir set in 1981 Los Angeles. Four of his works have been adapted for film, and he has built a parallel career in cinema, notably as screenwriter of ‘The Canyons’. In 2019 he published ‘White’, his first work of non-fiction, examining politics, free speech and digital culture. Since 2013 he has also served as host of ‘The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast’, conducting in depth conversations with leading figures from film, music and literature, further reinforcing his position as a sharp cultural commentator.

As a keynote speaker, Bret offers audiences an unfiltered perspective on creativity, controversy and cultural change. Drawing on decades of experience navigating public debate, media backlash and artistic risk, he speaks on free expression, the evolution of storytelling, generational identity and the realities of the entertainment industry. His talks combine personal insight with cultural analysis, grounded in lived experience. Organisations seeking a speaker who provokes thought, challenges assumptions and encourages open conversation will find Bret’s presence both compelling and memorable.