Derek Landy | |
|---|---|
 Landy in Edinburgh, August 2011 | |
| Born | Lusk, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Genre | Children'sfantasy |
| Notable works | Skulduggery Pleasant andDemon Road series |
| Notable awards | Red House Children's Book Award 2008Skulduggery Pleasant |
Derek Landy is an Irish author and screenwriter, known for theSkulduggery Pleasant andDemon Road book series. Since 2018, he has also written numerouscomic book series atMarvel Comics.
Landy has written two screenplays that have been made into films, theIFTA award-winningDead Bodies and the IFTA-nominatedBoy Eats Girl starringSamantha Mumba. Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script forDead Bodies.[1][2]
Frustrated with the collaborative process of filmmaking, Landy moved on to writing theSkulduggery Pleasant series, starting withthe novel of the same name.[3] The novel was published byHarperCollins, who paid £1.8 million for the publishing rights,[4] growing to comprise a nine-book series, a six-book sequel series, a spin-off, and a prequel, with a third (three-book) series in development.
In 2007, he signed a deal withWarner Bros. worth an estimated US$1.1 million for the rights to adapt hisSkulduggery Pleasant series, which he intended to adapt himself.[5] However, his script was constantly rewritten and Landy, unhappy with the results, bought back the rights. He sold the rights to another company which could not make it, then worked with another company that "petered out". As of 2020, he was working on an adaptation with an undisclosed film making company.[6]
Landy is a fan ofJoss Whedon's works, notablyBuffy the Vampire Slayer, as well asPhilip Pullman'sHis Dark Materials series.[7] He is also a fan ofGilmore Girls andDoctor Who.
Landy wrote a short story based on theTenth Doctor fromDoctor Who as part of a short story collection celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. The story was published by Puffin in 2013, titled "The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage". Landy was consequentially hired to write an episode for the second series of theDoctor Who spinoffClass, only for the series to be cancelled before the episode he wrote could be produced.[8]
Landy attendedDrogheda Grammar School, and later studied animation atBallyfermot College.[9] He also has a black belt inkenpo karate.[5] Prior to his contract withHarperCollins, he worked on his parents' vegetable farm.[3] Since 2013, he has been dating Laura Jordan, a fellow writer fromSittingbourne,Kent, and they are now engaged. The couple lives inDublin with their dog and seven cats.
In a review of his first book,Skulduggery Pleasant,Sarah Webb of theIrish Independent wrote that it "is taut, full of zippy dialogue and fantastical visuals".[4]
In 2008, Landy won theRed House Children's Book Award.[10]Playing with Fire,Mortal Coil andLast Stand of Dead Men each won the seniorIrish Children's Book Award, in 2009, 2010 and 2013.[11] In addition in 2010Skulduggery Pleasant (Sceptre of the Ancients) was voted as Irish book of the decade.[12]
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