Author and screenwriter Tom Coyne grew up writing stories, carrying golf bags, and playing golf, all three of which went into shaping his first novel, A Gentleman’s Game. Coyne graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1997 with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. He was awarded a full scholarship to attend the graduate writing program at Notre Dame where he completed his Master’s of Fine Arts degree in 1999, winning the William Mitchell Award for “Distinguished achievement in the Notre Dame Graduate Creative Writing Program.”
While in graduate school, Tom Coyne’s short story, “Behind Sharp Branches” was published in Virgin Fiction 2, the second installment of William Morrow’s anthology of new writers of short fiction. Shortly after leaving Notre Dame, Coyne acquired the representation of literary agency Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. His debut novel, A Gentleman’s Game, was published by Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press and released to international acclaim in 2001 (paperback 2002). Coyne co-wrote the screen adaptation of his novel and worked as a co-producer on the film version of A Gentleman’s Game (First Look Pictures). The movie stars Gary Sinise, Philip Baker Hall, Dylan Baker, and Mason Gamble, and was named best DVD premiere film of 2002. A Gentleman’s Game was nominated for an ESPY award as best sports movie of 2002, and Coyne’s adaptation was nominated as that year’s best DVD premiere screenplay. A Gentleman’s Game was also named one of the best 25 sports books of all time by The Daily News.
Articles about Tom Coyne and A Gentleman’s Game have appeared in such publications as The Philadelphia Weekly, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Main Line Today, The Daily News, The Daily Times, The New York Times, Newsday, Details Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, Golf Magazine, Golf World, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Telegraph, The London Review of Books, and The London Times. He is also a contributor to Golf Magazine and Indy Men’s Magazine.
Tom Coyne lives in Philadelphia and teaches creative writing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. His new book, Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer’s Quest to Play with the Pros (Gotham Books), was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2006. Tom’s third book, A Course Called Ireland, is due from Gotham Books, an imprint of Penguin Putnam, in spring, 2008.
