Eoin Colfer biography

Born on 14th May 1965 in Wexford, South-East Ireland Eoin Colfer attended Dublin University to gain his degree and qualify as a primary school teacher like his father before him. Returning to Wexford to begin his teaching career he left his home county once again in 1992, this time with his now wife Jackie, whom he married in 1991, to teach in East Africa, Asia and Europe (Italy) over a period of four years. His first book, Benny and Omar was inspired by his experiences in Tunisia, East Africa and was published in 1998. It has since gone on to be translated into several different European languages.

Eoin’s teaching experience with students who have learning disabilities and emotional challenges gave him a particular insight into children’s humour and attitudes that is reflected in his writing.

His first Artemis Fowl book was published in 2001 and was met with huge success, Eoin now in a position to give up work decided to give up teaching and concentrate on writing full time, bringing a lot of joy to a lot of children (and quite a few adults too).

Describing his Artemis Fowl books as “Fairies meet Die Hard” Eoin’s Artemis Fowl series continues to grow in number and success. However, he is not confined to writing exclusively about his best-known character and has several other published titles unrelated to the series, which are successful in their own right.

In September 2008 it was announced that Eoin Colfer will write a sequel to Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. As a huge fan of Hitchhikers since a youth, Eoin likened being asked to write the sequel to being offered the superpower of his choice.

Eoin Colfer lives in Wexford, Ireland and the south of France with his wife and two children, Sean and Finn.

Eoin Colfer books

• Benny and Omar (1998)
• Benny and Babe (1999)
• Going Potty (1999)
• Ed's Funny Feet (2000)
• Ed's Bed (2001)
• Artemis Fowl (2001)
• Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident (2002)
• Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code (2003)
• The Artemis Fowl Files (2004)
• Artemis Fowl and the Seventh Dwarf (2004)
• The Legend of Spud Murphy (2004)
• The Supernaturalist (2004)
• Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception (2005)
• The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth (2006)
• Half-Moon Investigations (2006)
• Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony (2006)
• The Legend of The Worst Boy In The World (2007)
• Airman (2008)
• Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox (2008)
• And Another Thing… (2009)
• Artemis Fowl and the Altlantis Complex (2010)

Eoin Colfer critical acclaim

Artemis Fowl and the Artic Incident - Fast, funny and very exciting – Daily Mail

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code - A winning combination of humour, action and ingenuity – Sunday Times

Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception - A crunchily perfect knock-out of a debut novel – Guardian

The Supernaturalist - Reads like The Matrix crossed with Oliver Twist – The Times

Latest news: Eoin Colfer

Atlantis Complex to be Artemis’s penultimate adventure, says Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer has revealed to the Guardian that Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex will be his teenage mastermind's penultimate adventure. "One more book, and then that'll be the end of that," he said. "He will be faced with a choice where he can be kind to somebody and he won't gai [...]

Eoin Colfer to headline event at the 2010 Oxfam Bookfest
July 2009 saw the first ever Oxfam Bookfest – a fortnight packed with book events in Oxfam shops all over the country.This year the book-based fun will go far and wide, with activities, events and displays across hundreds of Oxfam shops, libraries, community centres and other venues around the count [...]

Eoin Colfer, Puffin of Puffins, turns his pen to a more adult audience
Irish fantasy author Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl was recently voted Britain’s all-time favourite Puffin book, beating Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Stig of the Dump to the accolade. A massive sixty-eight percent chose Colfer’s story about a young criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy in or [...]

Eoin Colfer’s The Lords of Love fills Wexford Opera House
Eoin Colfer, prize-winning author of the Artemis Fowl books, has now turned his attention to the stage with his first foray into musical theatre. Wexford Opera House has been filled this week during the first run of his new work, 'The Lords of Love'. Representatives from a number of production comp [...]

Julia Donaldson to host live internet broadcast to thousands of children
Julia Donaldson, award winning author and creator of modern classic The Gruffalo, will revolutionise literature for children on 26 May when she hosts a live internet broadcast to thousands of children. The event is the latest to take place in the 'Meet Our Authors' programme, run by Scottish Book T [...]

Puffin’s Top 70 children’s book ever
Puffin has published its list of what it considers the 70 best children's books of all time. It is an impressive list and will provide bookworms with a wonderful choice when they next look for a book. Amongst the list are many Fantasy Book Review favourites including A Wizard of Earthsea, Watership [...]

Fantasy news round-up 26/04/2010
Hubble Telescope: NASA release dramatic space image to mark 20th birthday The new image, captured earlier this year by Hubble's brand-new Wide Field Camera 3, shows a cosmic pillar of gas and dust piled high in the Carina Nebula. Located about 7,500 light-years away in the southern constel [...]

50 books nominated for the Irish Book of the Decade award
A 50 book shortlist, including fantasy author Eoin Colfer, has been selected by a panel including Irish booksellers, librarians and journalists to help decide Ireland’s Book of the Decade. The public can vote for the winner of the award, run by the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, on www.bookofth [...]

Eoin Colfer turns his hand to musicals
Popular children’s writer Eoin Colfer has now turned his hand to a stage musical. The Wexford author of the Artemis Fowl series and the Hitchhiker’s Guide sequel has written the “book” for The Lords of Love , which will have its world premiere at the Jerome Hynes Theatre in Wexford Opera House on M [...]

Eoin Colfer named as London Book Fair Author of the Day
Children’s fantasy author Eoin Colfer, plus Man Booker Prize-winner Hilary Mantel and South African writer Andre Brink have been named as the three Authors of the Day at this year's London Book Fair. The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution [...]