Mark Haddon

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mark Haddon
Born (1962-09-26) 26 September 1962 (age 62)
Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
OccupationWriter, illustrator
NationalityEnglish
EducationMA, English Literature
Alma materMerton College, Oxford
Uppingham School
Spratton Hall School
Period1987–present
GenreNovels, children's literature, poetry, screenplays, radio drama
Notable awards
SpouseSos Eltis
Children2
Website
markhaddon.com

Mark Haddon (born 26 September 1962) is an English novelist, best known for

Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for his work.

Life, work and studies

In 2003, Haddon won the

Commonwealth Writers' Prize in the Best First Book category, as The Curious Incident was considered his first book written for adults.[1] Despite being categorized as an adult book for some awards, Haddon also won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 2003 for the book.[2] The book was also long-listed for the 2003 Man Booker Prize. [3]
It was adapted as a stage play and was successful for a long run.

The Curious Incident is written from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy, Christopher John Francis Boone. In an interview at

Powells.com, Haddon claimed that this was the first book that he wrote intentionally for an adult audience; he was surprised when his publisher suggested marketing it to both adult and child audiences (it has been very successful with adults and children alike).[1] However, it has also been criticised by some autistic readers who objected to its 'depressing' depiction of Christopher, the autistic protagonist.[4]

Haddon's short story "The Pier Falls" was longlisted for the 2015

Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award, the richest prize in the world for a single short story.[5] He published a collection of short stories inspired by classical mythology called Dogs and Monsters in 2024.[6]

In 2023, he turned down an OBE for his services to literature, saying: 'I would feel uneasy accepting an honour which presumes an uncritical acceptance of the British Empire as a good thing.'[7]

Personal life

Haddon is a

atheist".[8][9] In 2019, he had heart bypass surgery. Later he contracted COVID-19 and, as he recovered, was diagnosed with long COVID. He has struggled with "brain fog" that left him unable to read or write. In 2024 he spoke to The Guardian about his five-year-long process of partial recovery, saying that although he still could not read properly, the fog was "starting to thin a little".[10]

Haddon lives in

Brasenose College, Oxford, and their two sons.[8]

Works

For children

For adults

Poetry

Play

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Dave (10 October 2006), "The curiously irresistible literary debut of Mark Haddon", Powells.com. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  2. ^ The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2003 (top page). The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  3. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  4. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  5. ^ "World's Richest Story Prize". The Sunday Times. 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015.
  6. ISSN 0029-7712
    . Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  7. ^ Haddon, Mark (3 July 2024). "Mark Haddon: why I turned down an OBE". New Statesman. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b Crompton, Simon (23 September 2006). "Inside a curious mind". The Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  9. ^ Haddon, Mark (11 April 2004). "B is for bestseller". The Observer. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  10. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. ^ Haddon, Mark (20 May 2020). "Social Distance: a graphic short story for the coronavirus age by Mark Haddon". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Haddon&oldid=1283550389"