John Boyne
John Boyne
John Boyneis an Irish novelist. He is the author of nine novels for adults and five novels for younger readers. His novels are published in 50 languages...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth30 April 1971
CountryIreland
authors talk younger
Children's authors don't talk down or patronise their younger readers.
employed entirely far term
What makes a classic is difficult to define. It's entirely subjective, of course. And the term is employed far too promiscuously.
adult change enjoy move nice pace quite time
I move between the two: I write an adult novel, and then I write a children's book. I quite enjoy that. It's a nice change of pace each time.
people unless
Unless you're very boring, I think most people who've lived long enough have something in their past which will never go away.
glorify people tend war
People try to glorify war, particularly those who aren't actually fighting in them. People tend to make heroes of those who are fighting in them.
life suppose
I suppose books are my real passion in life.
age children
I can remember being eight, and I like writing about that age of innocence when children still have a sense of wonder.
charles christmas dickens excite failed teenage throughout
Throughout my teenage years, I read 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens every December. It was a story that never failed to excite me, for as well as being a Dickens enthusiast, I have always loved ghost stories.
age wrote
I wrote my first book at 20, but my whole focus from about the age of 12 was to be a writer.
opposed war
I am opposed to war, to killing people, to any kind of hatred and violence.
taken alive life-is
It occurs to me that even though Zoya and I are both still alive, my life is already over. She will be taken from me soon and there will be no reason for me to continue without her. We are one person, you see. We are GeorgyandZoya.
children crazy book
I am frustrated by celebrities who decide to write children's books because they think it's easy. That drives me crazy. It's frustrating because it's unfair to children. Because they'll get a lot of attention, they'll get a lot of marketing budget and so on just because they're a celebrity - the Madonnas, the Ricky Gervaises, the Russell Brands.
ideas people world
We all are [normal]. Their idea of normal just happens to be different to some other people's idea of normal. But this is the world we live in. Some people simply cannot accept something that is outside of their experience.
coward tumbling irony
Do you see the irony at all, Tristan?’ I stare at him and shake my head. He seems determined not to speak again until I do. ‘What irony?’ I ask eventually, the words tumbling out in a hurried heap. ‘That I am to be shot as a coward while you get to live as one.