Maybe it is because literature Nobel prize and other major award winners already tend to have a long career behind them, since I have always thought that an author has to be old to become famous. That isn’t the case as an infographic created by Blinkbox Books illustrates. Age really doesn’t count for authors: the breakthrough book can be an author’s debut at 26, or twentieth book at 65.

JRR Tolkien published his first book at 46, and continued to write for many years. John Steinbeck discovered his success at an age of 36 with his fifth book. JK Rowling was 33 and Stephen King 32 when they discovered their success formulas.

Explore the careers of some of the world’s most successful authors. Click image to open interactive version (via Blinkbox Books).