Eoin Colfer: Ireland ⋆ Author

Born in 1965 in Wexford on the Southeast coast of Ireland, Eoin Colfer first began to write while he was in primary school. His mother was a drama teacher and his father a primary school teacher, historian, and artist, so it is perhaps not surprising that he grew up with a love for the arts. He was inspired by the Viking history learned about in his early education, and his early writing derives from this childhood passion. Colfer earned his Bachelor of Education Degree in Dublin, and after he graduated he returned to Wexford to be an elementary school teacher. From 1992 to 1996, Colfer and his wife worked in various places across the globe—Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Tunisia. It was in Tunisia where he was inspired to write his first novel, Benny and Omar, which was published in 1998 and won the White Raven Award. A year later, Colfer wrote a sequel, Benny and Babe, which was the first of three of his books that have been shortlisted for the 2000 Bisto Book of the Year Award. These accomplishments launched Colfer's career as a critically acclaimed author.

Publishing dozens of books in many languages and countries all over the world, Colfer has won numerous awards, including the WH Smith People's Choice Award, the Irish World Literature Award, and the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year.

Artemis Fowl, perhaps Colfer's most famous book—and character, for that matter—has played an enormous role in his launch into literary superstardom. It is currently being developed into a film by Miramax, and the gripping plot and fast-paced nature of the novel meshes well with the film industry. The engaging content of his novels is delivered through clever humor and compelling wit, and Colfer's approachable writing style makes his novels enjoyable in every aspect of reading. He often deals with difficult topics like death, morality, poverty, and cultural differences in a way that is not overbearing, but accessible. Eoin Colfer's ability to captivate his readers while incorporating important social and cultural issues into his texts makes him as one of the most influential authors in his field, and one of Ireland's bestselling children's authors.