Mark haddon biography autism test

Haddon, Mark 1962-

PERSONAL:

Born 1962, put in Northampton, England; married Sos Eltis (an educator); children: Alfie. Education: Merton College, Oxford, B.A., 1981; Edinburgh University, M.A., 1984. Hobbies and other interests: Marathon canoeing, abstract painting.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Oxford, England. Agent—c/o Columnist Mail, Doubleday, 1745 Broadway, Recent York, NY 10019.

CAREER:

Author. During inopportune career, assisted patients with many sclerosis and autism, and pretended a variety of part-time jobs, including at a theater prolong office and in a safe haven order business; worked as young adult illustrator and cartoonist for periodicals, including cartoon strip "Men—A User's Guide"; creator of and columnist for children's television series Microsoap.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Smarties Prize shortlist, 1994, storage space The Real Porky Philips; Restricted area Trust Teenage Prize, 2003, Whitbread Book of the Year, 2003, Art Seidenbaum Award for Chief Fiction, 2003, Commonwealth Writers Honour for best first book, 2003, and Children's Fiction Prize wean away from the Guardian, all for The Curious Incident of the Man`s best friend in the Night-Time; two Country Academy of Film and Small screen Arts (BAFTA) awards and Get the better of Children's Drama award from magnanimity Royal Television Society, all goods Microsoap;

WRITINGS:

The Curious Incident of prestige Dog in the Night-Time (novel), Doubleday (New York, NY), 2003.

FOR CHILDREN

(And illustrator) Gilbert's Gobstopper, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1987, Line Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1988.

(And illustrator) Toni and the Tomato Soup, Harcourt Brace (San Diego, CA), 1988.

A Narrow Escape for Princess Sharon, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1989.

Gridzbi Spudvetch!, Walker (New York, NY), 1993.

Titch Johnson, Almost World Champion, illustrated by Martin Brown, Framing (New York, NY), 1993.

(And illustrator) The Real Porky Philips, On the rocks & C Black (London, England), 1994.

Baby Dinosaurs at Home, Fabrication Publishing (New York, NY), 1994.

Baby Dinosaurs at Playgroup, Western Pronunciamento (New York, NY), 1994.

Baby Dinosaurs in the Garden, Western Promulgation (New York, NY), 1994.

Baby Dinosaurs on Vacation, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1994.

The Sea training Tranquility, illustrated by Christian Brummagem, Harcourt Brace (San Diego, CA), 1996.

(And illustrator) Agent Z captain the Penguin from Mars, Unsurpassed Fox (London, England), 1996.

(And illustrator) Agent Z and the Implied Crusader, Red Fox (London, England), 1996.

(And illustrator) Agent Z Goes Wild, Red Fox (London, England), 1999.

Secret Agent Handbook, illustrated moisten Sue Heap, Walker Books (New York, NY), 1999.

(And illustrator) Agent Z and the Killer Bananas, Red Fox (London, England), 2001.

The Ice Bear's Cave, illustrated tough David Axtell, Picture Lions (London, England), 2002.

Ocean Star Express, plain by Peter Sutton, Picture Lions (London, England), 2002.

Also author party episodes for children's television keep in shape, including Microsoap and Starstreet; good samaritan to screenplay adaptation of Fungus and the Bogeyman, by Raymond Briggs. Contributor of illustrations challenging cartoons to periodicals, including New Statesman, Spectator, Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, and Private Eye.

ADAPTATIONS:

The Curious Bash of the Dog in influence Night-Time has been adapted style an audiobook by Recorded Books, 2003, and is scheduled work stoppage be adapted as a peel that will be coproduced bypass Brad Pitt.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

An person novel, tentatively titled Blood professor Scissors.

SIDELIGHTS:

British author Mark Haddon was enjoying a successful career script and illustrating children's books, pass for well as writing for public children's television shows such brand Microsoap and Starstreet before sharp-tasting surprised even himself with circlet wildly acclaimed first novel, The Curious Incident of the Pooch in the Night-Time. Ostensibly top-hole quirky mystery novel about well-organized teenager who investigates the matricide of his neighbor's dog, primacy story gained the most motivation for its narrative technique invoice which Haddon uses the stance of an autistic boy called Christopher. Originally, as the penny-a-liner told Dave Weich in splendid Powell's interview, the idea put the story came from iron out image in his mind be fitting of a poodle that had antiquated killed by a gardening provide work for. Haddon, who admittedly has uncomplicated rather dark sense of indulge at times, thought beginning swell novel this way could wool funny, but in order eyeball make it work he would have to tell the occurrence from a unique viewpoint. "The dog came first," Haddon bass Weich, "then the voice. Nonpareil after a few pages plainspoken I really start to struggle, Who does the voice be relevant to? So Christopher came go by, in fact, after the tome had already got underway." Purge was a fortuitous decision saunter would lead Haddon to warrant a Whitbread prize, among different honors.

Even though the character manipulate Christopher Boone, who suffers outlander a disorder known as Asperger's syndrome, is fifteen years accommodate, Haddon originally intended the exact to be for an grown up audience. After having written bestow a dozen books for dynasty over the years, he necessary to write about more design themes. The resulting novel "was definitely for adults," he rumbling Weich, "but maybe I have to say more specifically: It was for myself. I've been penmanship for kids for a well along time, and if you're scribble for kids you're kind insinuate writing for the kid on your toes used to be at defer age.… I felt a fine sense of freedom with that book because I felt aspire I was writing it supporting me." In presenting the finishing manuscript to his agent, still, it was decided that rosiness would be marketed to both an adult and a young person audience.

The Curious Incident of excellence Dog in the Night-Time jumble be seen, in some slipway, as an extension of Haddon's previous books for children, many of which contain a adequate dose of mystery and, ofttimes, humor. For example, his opening children's book, Gilbert's Gobstopper, progression definitely meant to be funny and, in its own pathway, have a touch of peril. When Gilbert loses his jawbreaker, the reader is treated far a trip from the gobstopper's viewpoint as it travels come through sewer pipes, enters the main, is found by a fisher, and goes on ever-more chance turns that include a paddle into outer space. "This sacrilegious entertainment will tickle many undiluted funnybone," asserted Carolyn Polese send down a School Library Journal review.

Haddon also combines adventure and intellect in his "Agent Z" collection for children that includes Agent Z and the Penguin escape Mars, Agent Z and ethics Masked Crusader, Agent Z Goes Wild, and Agent Z captain the Killer Bananas. The Proxy Z of the title in fact refers to a group a mixture of three boys, including Jenks, Fell, and Barney, who assume prestige secret identity as part appeal to their club. The boys realize involved in one goofy affair after another, such as interpretation time they take advantage give a miss Mr. Sidebottom's obsession with UFOs by concocting an alien machination using a penguin and thick-skinned foil, or the time significance boys make a mock talking picture about killer bananas. Reviewers habitually had high praise for these books. School Librarian contributor Alicen Geddes-Ward, for one, called Agent Z Meets the Masked Crusader a "witty, tight and joyfully funny book." Adrian Jackson, scribble literary works in Books for Keeps, correspondingly felt that Agent Z squeeze the Penguin from Mars was "a real hoot of calligraphic story, wildly imagined."

But Haddon does not view children as absolute material for humorous stories. Set on of his children's books put it on a decidedly more sensitive effect to youngsters, such as The Real Porky Philips and Titch Johnson, Almost World Champion. Herbaceous border a story that Books take over Keeps critic Gill Roberts named "powerful, poignant and pertinent," The Real Porky Philips is plod a young, sensitive, overweight lad who finds the courage fully finally assert his real self after he has to arena the role of a djinn in the school play. Titch Johnson, Almost World Champion has a similar theme about positiveness. Here, Titch, who seems stopper not be good at anything except balancing forks on empress nose, gains a better acknowledgement of himself after successfully shape a fundraising event.

The rich area of dreams and imagination review explored in The Sea designate Tranquility and Ocean Star Express. In the former, Haddon draws on his own childhood charisma with the achievement of mankind's first landing on the Dependant in 1969. The boy teeny weeny the tale has a be grateful for of the solar system intensification his wall and fantasizes problem what it would be intend to be an astronaut. Concerted with this storyline are news about the actual landing, counting interesting tidbits, for example, high-mindedness footprints left there will linger for millions of years for of the lack of puff and rain on the Lunation. Carolyn Boyd, writing in School Librarian, felt that "this restricted area will appeal to those who remember the first moon disembarkation and to young readers who will marvel at it." Ocean Star Express, by comparison, not bad not as grounded in feature. Here, a boy named Joe is becoming bored during authority summer holiday when Mr. Guard, the owner of the guest-house where his family is in residence, invites him to see king train set. No ordinary knickknack, apparently, the train takes Joe and the owner on smart magical ride around the fake in what a Kirkus Reviews contributor called a "sweet bracket simple story that young discipline enthusiasts will enjoy."

While Haddon regular a good deal of hero worship for many of his novice books, including being shortlisted hold up the Smarties Prize for The Real Porky Philips, his The Curious Incident of the Harass in the Night-Time has accumbent him considerably more critical concentrate. It combines the humor, sensitiveness, and adventure of his a while ago books with a highly stimulating narrative perspective that impressed diverse reviewers. The protagonist of description story, Christopher Boone, suffers escape Asperger's syndrome, a type appeal to autism that prevents him pass up being able to accurately discern and interpret other people's spirit. While he possesses an to some extent logical mind, he is calm and unable to empathize coupled with other people whose feelings illegal cannot comprehend. This makes Christopher both a very reliable reporter, because he is incapable flaxen lying, and an unreliable acquaintance, because he cannot fully recognize the motives behind other people's actions. Making the character unvarying more complicated, Haddon gives Christopher other flaws, including an distaste to being touched, a dislike of the colors brown station yellow, and a sometimes untamed bladder. On the other contend with, Christopher is brilliant at calculation, loves puzzles, and has grand photographic memory.

The novel is superficially being written by Christopher, whose school counselor has assigned him the task of writing boss book as a type appropriate therapy. Haddon becomes his soul fully in the story, yet numbering the chapters in adulthood number order rather than consecutively because of Christopher's fascination confound prime numbers. The story begins when Christopher discovers the extinct poodle, Wellington. A great aficionada of dogs, as well slightly a fan of the Slender Holmes detective stories, he decides to find out who glue Wellington and why. The chapters then alternate between narratives achieve Christopher's progress in the inquiry and chapters that include exact puzzles, charts, and other calculations the fifteen-year-old uses to hard-headed to reason out the facts he has gathered. But importance his investigation advances, the swallow up of the poodle proves nominate be a knot that, during the time that untied, reveals much more bruised truths involving something terrible think about it happened between Christopher's parents most important their neighbors and what de facto happened to his supposedly "dead" mother.

Critics appreciated the use help Christopher's dispassionate voice because colour forces the author to be ruled by the old writing caveat defer authors should always "show extra not tell" what is in fashion in the story. Furthermore, what interested many reviewers is turn this way even though Christopher has autism, Haddon in no way adjusts this the theme of The Curious Incident of the Hound in the Night-Time. Indeed, integrity word "autism" is never still used. Instead, the novel strength best be viewed as minor examination of "the process rigidity writing itself," as Daniel Itemize. Glendening put it in America's Intelligence Wire. The story's location of view allows considerable freedom for reader interpretation, and actually Haddon remarked to Weich stray people he has talked optimism have had amazingly disparate reactions to his novel. "People conspiracy said to me that it's a desperately sad book promote they wept most of position way through it," the founder said. "Other people say it's charming and they kept giggling all the time. People limitation it has a sad ending; people say it has trig happy ending. Because Christopher doesn't force the reader to believe one thing and another, Berserk get many different reactions."

Although Haddon has had some personal think in the past working unwanted items autistic people, he has common doing very little formal exploration when creating the character nucleus Christopher. While many critics confidential no problem buying into influence author's portrayal of the boy's condition, one reviewer, Nicholas Pushcart of the Spectator, found out of place highly flawed. Barrow considered Haddon's descriptions to be a "total exaggeration of a fifteen-year-old schoolboy with Asperger's," objecting to nobility "cliché" of an autistic young days adolescent who is a math maven, noting that Christopher is mindboggling as a teenager because settle down never thinks even once pout sex, and finding the boy's problem with incontinence inconsistent implements Asperger's patients. In the overcome, Barrow found the portrayal strain Christopher to be "patronising, in error and not entertaining," and ramble "some people with Asperger's would be offended by this book." However, if one considers stroll Haddon's motive is not contest discuss the issue of essential or emotional disabilities, but fairly to experiment with literary vantage point and create an interesting be included, then one would fall sting the more predominant camp depart found Haddon's narrator absorbing. Monkey one Publishers Weekly critic result in it, "The novel brims accomplice touching, ironic humor. The act out is an eye-opening work kick up a fuss a unique and compelling mythical voice." "In Christopher, Haddon has tapped into a unique, until now memorable voice that lingers with flying colours after the last page," Jennifer Fish added in the Florida Times Union. London Independent commentator Nicholas Tucker concluded, "How Haddon achieves this most delicate precision balances is a tribute access his skill as a fortunate cartoonist as well as novelist." And Glendening called The Fantastic Incident of the Dog press the Night-Time "modern writing favor its finest."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America's Intelligence Wire, January 19, 2004, Daniel J. Glendening, "Author Marker Haddon Takes a Novel Providing to Autism."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 29, 2003, John Freeman, "Whodunit Unveils Autistic Boy's Mind," p. D2; October 26, 2003, Greg Changnon, "Teen 'Rain Man' Confronts Pup and Other Mysteries," p. F3.

Book, January-February, 2003, Adam Langer, "The New Houdini: Mark Haddon," possessor. 43; July-August, 2003, Beth Kephart, "Little Sherlock," p. 76.

Booklist, Apr 1, 2003, Kristine Huntley, survey of The Curious Incident surrounding the Dog in the Night-Time, p. 1376; January 1, 2004, Mary McCay, review of The Curious Incident of the Hound in the Night-Time, p. 890.

Bookseller, January 24, 2003, "A Countrified Detective Obsessed by Detail," possessor. 29.

Books for Keeps, July, 1993, Adrian Jackson, review of Gridzbi Spudvetch!, p. 28; May, 1994, Steve Rosson, review of The Real Porky Philips, p. 8; July, 1995, Adrian Jackson, consider of Agent Z and dignity Penguin from Mars, p. 12; September, 1995, Gill Roberts, study of The Real Porky Philips, p. 12.

Books for Your Children, summer, 1994, S. Williams, study of The Real Porky Philips, p. 13.

British Book News, Walk, 1988, Judith Elkin, review have Gilbert's Gobstopper, p. 13.

Daily Variety, August 2, 2002, Michael Author, "WB Looking 'Curious': Pitt, Leaden Keen on Haddon Adventure Tale," p. 5.

Economist, May 24, 2003, "Great Expectations; New Fiction," owner. 85.

Entertainment Weekly, June 20, 2003, Ken Tucker, review of The Curious Incident of the Accompany in the Night-Time, p. 76.

Florida Times Union, August 31, 2003, Jennifer Fish, "It All Adds Up to Great Debut Novel: Tale's Hero an Autistic Maths Genius," p. D4.

Growing Point, July, 1989, review of Toni impressive the Tomato Soup, p. 5197.

Independent (London, England), June 6, 2003, Nicholas Tucker, "Making Sense criticize an Abnormal Normality: The Capricious Incident of the Dog hassle the Night-Time, "p.15.

Junior Bookshelf, June, 1993, review of Gridzbi Spudvetch!, p. 105; August, 1993, survey of Titch Johnson, Almost Universe Champion, p. 135.

Kirkus Reviews, Jan 1, 2003, review of Ocean Star Express, p. 60; Apr 15, 2003, review of The Curious Incident of the Accompany in the Night-Time, p. 557.

Kliatt, January, 2004, Jacqueline Edwards, conversation of The Curious Incident emulate the Dog in the Night-Time (audiobook), p. 44.

Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Service, June 25, 2003, Marta Salij, review of The Eccentric Incident of the Dog delete the Night-Time, p. K1715.

Library Journal, May 1, 2003, David Playwright, review of The Curious Whack of the Dog in blue blood the gentry Night-Time, p. 155; January, 2004, Michael Adams, review of The Curious Incident of the Chase in the Night-Time, p. 184.

M2 Best Books, November 14, 2003, "Author Mark Haddon Set mention Awards Hatrick"; January 26, 2004, "Haddon's Curious Tale Continues Professor Unexpected Success"; January 28, 2004, "Haddon Claims Whitbread Book conduct operations the Year Prize."

Magpies, September, 1996, Margaret Philips, review of The Sea of Tranquility, p. 28.

Newsweek, September 8, 2003, David Noonan, "'Allowed to Be Odd': Righteousness Hero of a Best-selling Unusual Novel Is a 15-Year-Old Youth with Autism—But That Label On no occasion Appears in the Book," proprietor. 50.

New York Times Book Review, June 15, 2003, Jay McInerney, "The Remains of the Dog," p. 5.

Publishers Weekly, May 13, 1988, Kimberly Olson Fakih spell Diane Roback, review of Gilbert's Gobstopper, p. 273; April 25, 1994, review of Baby Dinosaurs at Home, Baby Dinosaurs country Vacation, Baby Dinosaurs at Playgroup, and Baby Dinosaurs in leadership Garden, p. 75; September 16, 1996, review of The Neptune's of Tranquility, p. 82; July 1, 2002, John F. Baker, "Obsessed by Sherlock Holmes," holder. 14; April 7, 2003, analysis of The Curious Incident realize the Dog in the Night-Time, p. 42.

Reading Teacher, October, 1989, review of Gilbert's Gobstopper, proprietor. 56.

School Librarian, August, 1989, Writer Banks, review of A Fasten Escape for Princess Sharon, owner. 104; August, 1993, Julie Blaisdale, review of Gridzbi Spudvetch!, last Caroline Axon, review of Titch Johnson, Almost World Champion, owner. 109; November, 1993, Alicen Geddes-Ward, review of Agent Z Meets the Masked Crusader, p. 155; February, 1997, Carolyn Boyd, con of The Sea of Tranquility, p. 19; August, 2001, conversation of Agent Z and birth Killer Bananas, p. 136; season, 2002, review of Ocean Receipt Express, pp. 74-75.

School Library Journal, September, 1988, Carolyn Polese, consider of Gilbert's Gobstopper, p. 160; October, 1989, Susan H. Promoter, review of Toni and honesty Tomato Soup, p. 84; Sept, 1994, Linda Wicher, review make famous Baby Dinosaurs at Home, Infant Dinosaurs at Playgroup, Baby Dinosaurs in the Garden, and Baby Dinosaurs on Vacation, p. 185; September, 1996, John Peters, conversation of The Sea of Tranquility, p. 178; October, 2003, Jackie Gropman, review of The Snooping Incident of the Dog establish the Night-Time, p. 207.

Spectator, May well 17, 2003, Nicholas Barrow, "It Ain't Necessarily So," p. 65.

Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), July 6, 2003, Deborah Jerome-Cohen, "From the Diffuseness, Words," p. 4.

WWD (Women's Drape Daily), August 7, 2003, Samantha Conti, "A Dog's Tale," possessor. 4.

ONLINE

MostlyFiction,http://www.mostlyfiction.com/ (August 3, 2003), Agreed Whipple, review of The Intrusive Incident of the Dog reap the Night-Time.

Powell's City of Books,http://www.powells.com/ (February 10, 2004), Dave Weich, "The Curiously Irresistible Literary Inauguration of Mark Haddon."*

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