Then, several years later, when the first two were re-edited and re-released, he published the third book, "City of the Snakes". That was followed by "Hell's Horizon" in February 2000.
In fact his initial breakthrough was with an adult book, in February 1999, called "Ayuamarca" (later republished as "Procession of the Dead"), the first of a trilogy of books known as "The City". Although Darren quite liked the idea of writing a children’s book one day, he considered himself an adult writer first and foremost. When he started writing full-time, his output shot up to 5 to 6 books per year! But that has dropped back to 2 to 3 recently, due to all the travelling around he’s been doing to promote sales of his books.Īll of these early books were adult-oriented. For the next several years, sandwiched between university and work, he wrote an average of one book a year, experimenting with different ideas, genres, lengths and styles. Although it was never published, he relished the writing experience, and found himself focusing more on novels in the coming years, leaving behind the short-story format.
He enjoyed his first taste of literary success at age 15, as a runner-up in a television script-writing competition for RTE in Ireland, with a dark comedy script titled "A Day in the Morgue" (he was morbid even then!).ĭarren was 17 when he finished his first novel. He bought his first typewriter when he was 14, and never looked back, knocking out loads of short stories and comic scripts, and making false starts on several books, which he never completed. He then worked for a cable television company in Limerick for a couple of years, before setting up as a full-time writer at the age of 23.Īlthough Darren always wanted to be a writer, it was only in his teenage years that he began writing in his spare time for fun (before that, he only wrote stories if they were for homework). Later, he went back to London to study Sociology and English at Roehampton University. At the age of six, he moved to Limerick in Ireland, with his parents and younger brother, and has lived there ever since.ĭarren went to primary school in Askeaton, where his mother was a teacher, then to secondary school in Copsewood College in Pallaskenry. He started school at the early age of three (he was such a wild child, no pre-school facility would have him!), in English Martyrs. Thomas’ Hospital, London - directly across the river from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, which may explain his fascination with evil bloodsuckers! He lived in South East London, near the Elephant & Castle.
Although he is Irish, he was born on July 2, 1972, in St. BiographyDarren Shan's real name is Darren O’Shaughnessy.
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