Background

Malcolm Gladwell was born in Fareham, Hampshire, England on September 3, 1963. When he was six, his parents moved the family to Elmira, Ontario, Canada. His interest in reading and libraries began when his father, Graham, a mathematics professor, took him to his office at the University of Waterloo where he taught, allowing Malcolm to wander the university. Malcolm was a middle-distance runner in high school, winning the 1,500 meter title at the Ontario High School Championships in Kingston, Ontario. He interned at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C. in 1982.