Oisín McGann
Encyclopedia
Oisín McGann is an Irish author
and illustrator
. He writes in a range of genres for children and teenagers, mainly science fiction
and fantasy
, and has illustrated many of his own short story
book
s for younger readers.
, County Louth
. He had an interest in writing and illustrating from an early age and later studied art at Ballyfermot Senior College, Dublin before doing a course in animation at Dun Laoghaire
School of Art and Design in 1990. He set up as a freelance illustrator/artist
in 1992 before becoming Background Layout Designer for Fred Wolf films in 1997. In February 1998, he left Dublin for London
where he spent most of his time as an illustrator and copywriter in an advertising company. After three and a half years he returned to Ireland, initially working as freelance illustrator, but now as a full-time author.
of Dublin, followed by his first young adult novel, The Gods and their Machines in 2004. More Mad Grandad titles soon followed as well as two more young adult novels, The Harvest Tide Project and Under Fragile Stone (collectively known as the Archisan Tales). The Harvest Tide Project was actually the first novel McGann had written, but it was contracted as part of a three-novel deal, and his publishers chose to release The Gods and their Machines first.
In 2006, a new illustrated series
, the Forbidden Files was published, for confident readers
. In the same year, Random House's
imprint Doubleday bought the rights to publish his next novel
, the futuristic thriller Small-Minded Giants. In May 2007, Small-Minded Giants was recommended by the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson and the School Library Association in the UK on a one-off list of Top 160 Books For Boys. In November 2010, an extract from Small-Minded Giants was used as part of paper one of the English GCSE, By the Northern Ireland Council For the Curriculum, Exams and Awards (CCEA).
Since 2006, McGann has continued to publish with Random House. Ancient Appetites, a steampunk story set in nineteenth century Ireland, was released in July, 2007, the first in McGann's Wildenstern Saga series. Strangled Silence, a conspiracy thriller set in London, was published in September, 2008. The second Wildenstern Saga book, entitled The Wisdom of Dead Men, was published in 2009. The third Wildenstern book, Merciless Reason is due for release in January 2012.
2005: The Gods and Their Machines and The Harvest Tide Project were both shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Award – the first time an author had two books on the same shortlist.
2006: The Gods And Their Machines, published by Tor in the United States, shortlisted for Locus Magazine's Best First Novel Award.
2006: Under Fragile Stone shortlisted for the Bisto Children's Book of the Year Award.
2008: Ancient Appetites shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book of the Year Award.
2008: Small-Minded Giants shortlisted for the Coventry Inspiration Book Award.
2009: Strangled Silence shortlisted for Falkirk Council’s 2010 RED Book Award.
2011: The French edition of Ancient Appetites, Voraces, shortlisted for le Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire in the Young Adult (Foreign) Novel category.
2011: Voraces shortlisted for the Prix Imaginales 2011 in the Jeunesse category.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
. He writes in a range of genres for children and teenagers, mainly science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and has illustrated many of his own short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s for younger readers.
Biography
Oisín McGann was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1973 and spent most of his childhood living there and in DroghedaDrogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
, County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He had an interest in writing and illustrating from an early age and later studied art at Ballyfermot Senior College, Dublin before doing a course in animation at Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
School of Art and Design in 1990. He set up as a freelance illustrator/artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
in 1992 before becoming Background Layout Designer for Fred Wolf films in 1997. In February 1998, he left Dublin for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he spent most of his time as an illustrator and copywriter in an advertising company. After three and a half years he returned to Ireland, initially working as freelance illustrator, but now as a full-time author.
Publishing Career
In 2003, his first two books in the Mad Grandad series for younger readers were released by the O'Brien PressO'Brien Press
The O'Brien Press is a leading publisher in Ireland of mainly children's fiction and adult non-fiction and the only Irish publishing house to have received the prestigious International Reading Association Award....
of Dublin, followed by his first young adult novel, The Gods and their Machines in 2004. More Mad Grandad titles soon followed as well as two more young adult novels, The Harvest Tide Project and Under Fragile Stone (collectively known as the Archisan Tales). The Harvest Tide Project was actually the first novel McGann had written, but it was contracted as part of a three-novel deal, and his publishers chose to release The Gods and their Machines first.
In 2006, a new illustrated series
Book series
A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher....
, the Forbidden Files was published, for confident readers
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
. In the same year, Random House's
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
imprint Doubleday bought the rights to publish his next novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, the futuristic thriller Small-Minded Giants. In May 2007, Small-Minded Giants was recommended by the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson and the School Library Association in the UK on a one-off list of Top 160 Books For Boys. In November 2010, an extract from Small-Minded Giants was used as part of paper one of the English GCSE, By the Northern Ireland Council For the Curriculum, Exams and Awards (CCEA).
Since 2006, McGann has continued to publish with Random House. Ancient Appetites, a steampunk story set in nineteenth century Ireland, was released in July, 2007, the first in McGann's Wildenstern Saga series. Strangled Silence, a conspiracy thriller set in London, was published in September, 2008. The second Wildenstern Saga book, entitled The Wisdom of Dead Men, was published in 2009. The third Wildenstern book, Merciless Reason is due for release in January 2012.
Young Adult Books
- The Gods And Their Machines (2004)
- The Harvest Tide Project (2004)
- Under Fragile Stone (2005)
- Small-Minded Giants (2006)
- Ancient Appetites (2007)
- Strangled Silence (2008)
- The Wisdom of Dead Men (2009)
- Merciless Reason (Due out in January 2012)
Mad Grandad Series
- Mad Grandad's Flying Saucer (2003)
- Mad Grandad's Robot Garden (2003)
- Mad Grandad and the Kleptoes (2005)
- Mad Grandad and the Mutant River (2005)
- Mad Grandad's Wicked Pictures (2007)
- Mad Grandad's Doppelganger (2010)
Forbidden Files Series
- The Evil Hairdo (2006)
- The Poison Factory (2006)
- Wired Teeth (2008)
Armouron Novellas for Random House
- The Armoured Ghost (2010)
- Lying Eyes (2010)
- The Orphan Factory (due for release in 2012)
- Dead End Junction (due for release in 2012)
Awards and Recognition
2005: The Gods and Their Machines won a Bisto Children's Book of the Year Merit Award.2005: The Gods and Their Machines and The Harvest Tide Project were both shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Award – the first time an author had two books on the same shortlist.
2006: The Gods And Their Machines, published by Tor in the United States, shortlisted for Locus Magazine's Best First Novel Award.
2006: Under Fragile Stone shortlisted for the Bisto Children's Book of the Year Award.
2008: Ancient Appetites shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book of the Year Award.
2008: Small-Minded Giants shortlisted for the Coventry Inspiration Book Award.
2009: Strangled Silence shortlisted for Falkirk Council’s 2010 RED Book Award.
2011: The French edition of Ancient Appetites, Voraces, shortlisted for le Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire in the Young Adult (Foreign) Novel category.
2011: Voraces shortlisted for the Prix Imaginales 2011 in the Jeunesse category.