Oliver Holloway

**Oliver Thomas Holloway** is a writer of Engines of Eight.

## Details

Name: Oliver Thomas Holloway

* Born: September 8, 1938
* Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
* Nationality: Scottish/British
* Occupation: Episode Writer
* Years in the Job: 30 years
* Parents: William and Elizabeth Holloway
	+ Siblings: Two younger brothers, Daniel and Edward Holloway
* Marriage/Children: Married to Amelia Holloway, two children: Sophia and Benjamin Holloway
* Death*:* Passed away on April 17, 2017, due to natural causes.

## Biography

Oliver Thomas Holloway was born on September 8, 1938, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to William Holloway and Elizabeth Holloway. He eventually gained two younger brothers, Daniel and Edward Holloway, born on March 12, 1942, and November 17, 1946, respectively. Oliver grew up close to his dad, who was a writing teacher at a local university. This instilled in him a love for writing and a passion for education. He was given a journal to document his thoughts and experiences. He recalls that during one of his family's holidays at a beach in Cornwall in 1948, his younger brother Edward accidentally fell into a sinkhole no deeper than a few feet and no wider than a foot, and waited for help to arrive. This could've led him, in his later years, to write the episode Eddie's Hollowday.

Oliver later joined the university where his father taught and pursued a degree in English literature. He immersed himself in various writing workshops and seminars, honing his skills and expanding his knowledge of different literary genres. Eventually, Oliver began his career on September 5, 1958, where he would write various Scottish and British novels that would captivate readers around the world. On June 30, 1960, he was awarded the prestigious literary prize for his groundbreaking novels. Almost 3 years later, on May 8, 1963, he joined Dockyard Films as an episode writer, with most of his stories being based on stories from his journals he had kept over the years. When he was assigned to become a writer for Engines of Eight around 1970, he wrote the episode Eddie's Hollowday as a funny recall of his Cornwall beach holiday in 1948. Despite adjusting the story significantly to have characters from Engines of Eight, his story was approved and became an episode of the show. After this, he supervised episodes of the show and continued to contribute his creative ideas. He remained doing this job until his retirement on May 9, 1988, but his impact on the show and the industry as a whole will always be remembered.

In his personal life, he expressed to his parents that he was a "very big introvert" and "shy," implying that he would likely never get married or have children. During a secondary school trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, he was able to overcome his shyness and interact with others, with one of his first conversations being with the woman who would later become his spouse, Amelia Mueller. The two eventually started hanging out more, and one thing led to another, and soon enough they married on June 9, 1964. They had two children together, Sophia (born in 1965) and Benjamin (born in 1968).

In 1972, he wrote a novel called "A Cornwall Holiday," a story about the various times in his past and his trips to Cornwall, recalling various little moments that had shaped his life and brought him joy. The book was one of his best sellers and received critical acclaim for its vivid storytelling and nostalgic charm. Even Daniel and Edward, who at this point were in their late 20s and early 30s, recommended the book to their friends and family. Oliver continued to write novels throughout his career, with one of his most famous works being "The Day Islam Crossed a Line," published in September 2002 as his point of view of the infamous attacks the year before on September 11th. The book received generally positive reviews and became a bestseller, solidifying Oliver's reputation as a successful author.

By 2007, Oliver's books had sold almost 30 million copies worldwide. In October 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree for his contributions to literature. By the late 2000s, both his and Amelia's health were beginning to slowly decline due to age and various medical conditions. On August 3, 2016, Amelia passed away peacefully in her sleep, leaving Oliver devastated. Despite his grief, Oliver continued to write and publish books, using his pain as inspiration for his later works. He dedicated his final novel, "In the Shadow of Loss," to Amelia's memory, and it quickly became another bestseller. Oliver passed away on April 17, 2017, due to natural causes. The same natural surroundings that had sparked his creative vision were present when he was laid to rest in a small cemetery outside of the place where he was born. A memorial service was held on Cornwall Beach for Oliver on April 26, 2017, where friends, family, and fans came together to celebrate his life and legacy. Daniel and Edward continue to honor and uphold Oliver's legacy to this very day, writing books about him and sharing stories of his life and impact on others. Daniel's latest work is "Ollie, Eddie, and Me," as a recap of the many adventures the three had when they were children, and Edward's latest work is "My Hollowday," as a recap of that little happy incident in 1948, right on Cornwall's shorelines.