Derek Landy
- Name: Derek Landy
- Lives:Outskirts of Dublin
- Born: 1974
- Hobby: Karate (Black Belt)
- Before Writing: Before writing his children's story about a sharply dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a slasher thriller in which everybody dies.
- Website: www.skulduggerypleasant.com
"What do you mean i've won?"
"Oh. Oh I see. In that case... "
"Firstly I want to thank the people who counted the votes for doing such an excellent job. I think that we can all agree that your counting skills are beyond reproach and that no questions should ever be asked of you. And let's just leave it at that. Secondly, i'd like to thank all the people who voted, and to assure them that yes, it is too late to change your mind."
"Winning is a bit of a new experience for me - especially winning something as prestigious as the Red House Children's Book Award. This is the kind of thing that happens to other writers (you know-good writers). I just write books I find fun, and I pack them full pf al the things I adore. I indulge myself completely with things, like murder and magic and monsters and martial arts - all the fun things in life. I am quite possibly the most selfish writer i've ever heard of."
"Jokes aside, can I be humble for a moment? No, probably not. It is an honour and a privilege to win the award. It would not have been possible for you to vote for a book whose writer would enjoy it as much as I am enjoying it. I now have fresh evidence to prove to my parents that I am their best child, and that they really should love me far more than any of the others."
Derek is from just outside Lusk, in North County Dublin and was born in 1974. His mother is a college professor, who teaches English in Dun Laoghaire, his father a farmer. My most memorable moment is still the moment when I first heard that HarperCollins wanted to publish my book. Earlier that morning I was wondering what I was going to do with my life. I was worrying about having no money. And then, when I was standing in a comic shop in Dublin, my agent called me and gave me a list of publishers who were interested in Skulduggery Pleasant. It was an amazing moment, and from that moment on, my life changed.
