Oisín McGann

Oisín McGann (born 1973 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish author and illustrator. He writes mainly fantasy novels for children and teenagers and has illustrated many of his own short story books for younger readers.

Biography

Oisín McGann was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1973 and spent most of his childhood living there and in Drogheda, Co. Louth. He always 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 after three and a half years of working in advertising, he returned to Ireland.

In 2003, his first two books in the Mad Grandad series for younger readers were released by the O'Brien Press 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). In 2006, a new series, the Forbidden Files was published, for young readers. In the same year, Random House's imprint Doubleday bought the rights to publish his next novel, the futuristic thriller Small-Minded Giants. His most recent book, Ancient Appetites, a steampunk story set in nineteenth century Ireland, was released in July, 2007. He has a new novel Strangled Silence, a conspiracy thriller set in London, due out in September, 2008.

Bibliography

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)

Archisan Tales

• The Harvest Tide Project (2004)
• Under Fragile Stone (2005)

Forbidden Files

• The Evil Hairdo (2006)
• The Poison Factory (2006)
• Wired Teeth (2008)

Stand-alone novels

• The Gods and Their Machines (2004)
• Small-Minded Giants (2006)
• Ancient Appetites (2007)
• The Goblin of Tara (2007)
• Strangled Silence (due out September 2008)

Awards

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 both shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Award – the first time one 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 Award.

External links

• Oisín McGann official website
• Oisín's page at the O'Brien Press website