Derek Landy
Derek Landy (born 23 October 1974) is an Irish author and screenwriter, best known for the "Skulduggery Pleasant" book series. Career. Landy has written two screenplays that have been made into films, the IFTA award-winning "Dead Bodies" and the IFTA-nominated "Boy Eats Girl" starring Samantha Mumba. Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script. Frustrated with the collaborative process of filmmaking, Landy moved on to writing the "Skulduggery Pleasant" series, starting with the novel of the same name. The novel was published by Harper Collins, who paid £1.8 million for the publishing rights . There are 15 books in the series with 3 spin offs. In 2007, he signed a deal with Warner Bros. worth an estimated US$1 million for the rights to adapt his "Skulduggery Pleasant" series, which he intended to adapt himself. However, his script was constantly rewritten and Landy, unhappy with the results, bought back the rights. He is currently working on a script with the producers of "Clash of the Titans". Landy is a fan of Joss Whedon's works, notably "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", as well as Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series. He is also a  fan of "Gilmore Girls" and "Doctor Who". Landy wrote a short story based on the Tenth Doctor from "Doctor Who" as part of a short story collection celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. The story was published by Puffin in 2013, titled "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage". Personal life. Landy attended Drogheda Grammar School during his childhood years, and later studied animation at Ballyfermot College. He also has a black belt in kenpo karate. Prior to his contract with HarperCollins, he worked on his parents' vegetable farm. He has been dating Laura Jordan, who is also a writer, from  Sittingbourne for a number of years and they now live together in Ireland. Reception. In a review of his first book, "Skulduggery Pleasant", Sarah Webb of the "Irish Independent" wrote that it "is taut, full of zippy dialogue and fantastically visuals". Awards. In 2008, Landy won the Red House Children's Book Award. "Playing with Fire", "Mortal Coil" and "Last Stand of Dead Men" each won the senior Irish Children's Book Award, in 2009, 2010 and 2013. In addition in 2010 "Skulduggery Pleasant (Sceptre of the Ancients)" was voted as Irish book of the decade.