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The
talk, in the majestic Great Hall, was part of Bristol Grammar
School's scheme of inviting celebrated authors and bringing
their work to a wider audience.
With
an audience of more than 200 excited children, plus parents
in tow, Colfer's trademark self-depreciating wit characterised
the evening, as he thanked everyone for: " ...coming to listen
to a little grey-haired Irish man talking about leprechauns".
After
the success of his best-selling Artemis Fowl series, which
combined high-octane energy, kick-ass fairies and a fusion
of high-tech gadgets, his latest work, The Supernaturalist
retains all the tension and originality that Colfer is
so adept at.
At
the same time, however, he manages to infuse into his work
a variety of serious topics: environmental damage; the power
of multinational corporations if they took over the world;
and end-of-life experiences.
| "I
would love to be as good as these heroes of mine and I
know I still have a long way to go yet" |
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| The
modest Eoin Colfer |
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The
Supernaturalist is set in the futuristic Satellite City
- and it is a sinister and dangerous future that Colfer describes.
One
where "money gets things done", and due to the havoc wrought
on the environment by humans, "... no one in the right mind
stays out in the sun anymore".
Against
the backdrop of this mechanised and emotionless world is the
story of Cosmo Hill, subjected to inhumane experiments at
The Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys.
Admitting
that this idea came from his own childhood experience of being
a regular "tester" for his older brother Paul's endeavors,
Colfer recalled one disastrous ordeal with dye, which turned
his hair blond.
From
this cruel and lonely existence, Cosmo is on the verge of
escaping, when he falls from a rooftop and lands on a generator
- receiving an enormous electric shock.
His
heart stops and it appears that he is going to die, until
something rather strange happens and he starts seeing eerie
blue creatures all around him.
So
how did Colfer think up with this idea?
Rollercoaster
ride
"Coming
across an article in a newspaper on end-of-life-experiences,
I wanted to investigate further.
"Many
people whose hearts have stopped described seeing strange
creatures during these moments.
"Scientists
and doctors have long disputed such stories, claiming it is
the brain playing tricks.
"However,
I was interested in asking, what if? What if this really happened
to everyone when their hearts stopped beating?
"Consequently,
what if they could still see such creatures even when their
hearts began beating again?"
This type of heightened imagination, displayed brilliantly
in the Artemis Fowl series, is repeated in the new work.
It
takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride with tension, adventure,
non-stop action and high-tech gadgetry on almost every page.
Following
Cosmo's encounter with the creatures, he is saved by a mysterious
gang of children - the Supernaturalists - and his life is
never quite the same again.
Rapturous
welcome
One
question that kept coming up during the course of the evening
was the use of the technology and gadgetry that is such a
huge part of Colfer's work.
"As
a teacher I found IT was the one subject that all the kids
in my class absolutely loved and looked forward to.
"So
I knew that if I were able to incorporate this element into
my work, it would be the perfect missing ingredient and allow
a completely original take on all things Irish, not just having
ordinary leprechauns!"
Despite
this insistence on originality, Colfer makes it clear that
he has been inspired by some literary greats - JRR Tolkien,
CS Lewis and Mark Twain.
"I
would love to be as good as these heroes of mine and I know
I still have a long way to go yet," he said.
From
the rapturous welcome he received, it appears that fans believe
Colfer has already reached those heights.
The
enter the competition to win an audiobook of The Supernaturalist,
simply answer this question correctly.
Where
does Cosmo go to school?
This
competition has now closed and the winner will be notified
by post.
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