Skulduggery
at the Centre
For
all those people out there struggling with that first novel and dreaming
of a JK Rowling-type discovery of their talent, it is a story that can
only inspire.
Derek Landy was 31 years old and working on the family farm in Lusk
when Harper Collins reputedly signed him up for a fee of £1m (€1.3m)
after reading his first novel “Skulduggery Pleasant.” A
chain of foreign rights deals followed, interest was intense at the
Bologna Book Fair and the tale of the dead skeletal magician is now
enchanting children in over thirty countries.
It is a fairy story for the former Kenpo Karate black belt, who, he
claims, “has taught countless children how to defend themselves,
in the hopes of building my own private munchkin army.” In another
incarnation, he also enjoyed fame of a kind as a screen horror writer,
penning "Dead Bodies" (2003), and "Boy Eats Girl"
(2005), which starred Samantha Mumba.
“Skulduggery Pleasant” was the most successful children’s
debut book of 2007 and now the wise-cracking hero of the title is back
in “Playing with fire,” the second of what Landy says will
be a series of seven or eight books. The powerful magician with a particular
penchant for fire is a master of dirty tricks and an ace burglar and
he is also very dead.
He and his sidekick Stephanie thought that they had saved the world,
but that was before the notorious Baron Vengeous showed up, along with
a lot of dead bodies and vampires…proving to be the duos biggest
challenge yet.
Next week, Dublin 15 readers, both old and young, will get a great opportunity
to quiz the author as Mr. Landy visits both Draíocht and Borders.
From 10.30 a.m. he will be in Draíocht for a ticketed event with
school audiences and at midday he will make the short hop to Borders
when the general public will have the chance to meet and greet Ireland’s
newest author-superstar.
Community Voice, Media
House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown,
Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 - Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie
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