Kenneth Oppel
| Kenneth Oppel | |
|---|---|
|
Oppel in 2013 | |
| Born |
August 31, 1967 Port Alberni, British Columbia |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Period | 1985–present |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
Governor General's Literary Award 2004 Airborn The Times Children's Novel 2005 Skybreaker |
| Spouse | Philippa Sheppard |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | |
|
kennethoppel | |
Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian children's writer.
Biography
Oppel was born in Port Alberni, British Columbia; he spent his childhood in Victoria, BC and in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, and Ireland.
Oppel's first book, Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure, published by E.P. Dutton in 1985,[1] was written while he was a high school student at St. Michaels University School in Victoria. (He attended at the same time as actors Andrew Sabiston and Leslie Hope, fellow writers John Burns and Bert Archer, and just before the NBA's Steve Nash and Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield.) Oppel forwarded the newly completed manuscript to a family friend, that knew Roald Dahl, who in turn recommended it to his agent. Oppel went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree in cinema studies and English at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, writing The Live-Forever Machine (1992) during his final year. Oppel moved to England and wrote a number of books during that period, gleaning several ideas while working at typing students' papers. Oppel worked as an editor at Quill and Quire, the trade magazine of the Canadian publishing industry, from 1995 to 1996.
He is probably best known for the trilogy comprising Silverwing, Sunwing, and Firewing. A fourth entry, Darkwing, serves as a prequel.
Another recent series is Airborn (2004), its sequel, Skybreaker (2005), and Skybreaker's sequel, Starclimber (2008). They are set in a parallel Earth of dirigible travel, following the adventures of the main characters Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries. Starclimber, the third book in the series, was released in Canada in September 2008, in the United States in December 2008, and in the United Kingdom in May 2009.
Oppel has won numerous literary awards, including the 2004 Governor General's Literary Award for English language children's literature, a Printz Honor Award from the American Library Association (both for Airborn) and The Times Children's Novel of 2005 (for Skybreaker, named a 2006 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association).
Oppel is married to Philippa Sheppard, a Shakespeare scholar and instructor at the University of Toronto.[2][3] They have three children, Sophia, Nate and Julia, and live in Toronto, Ontario.
Selected works
Young adult fiction
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
Silverwing seriesMain article: Silverwing (series)
Airborn series
Other
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Children's fictionBarnes and the Brains
Other
Adult fictionThe Devil's Cure (2000) |
References
- 1 2 "Colin's fantastic video adventure". Library of Congress Catalog Record. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ↑ http://www.english.utoronto.ca/facultystaff/facultyprofiles/SheppardP.htm Philippa Sheppard faculty profile (utoronto.ca) Archived February 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "300-Level Courses". English University of Toronto (english.utoronto.ca). Academic year 2012–13. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ↑ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1096530.The_Devil_s_Cure
- Other sources
- CM magazine profile of Oppel, incorporating material from a 1996 interview
- Interview by ACHUKA's Canadian Correspondent, Andrea Deakin (2000)
- Kenneth Oppel at CANSCAIP Members (archived 2010-10-17), with short autobiography
- Red Cedar Awards Profile
External links
- Official website
- Kenneth Oppel at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Kenneth Oppel at Library of Congress Authorities, with 23 catalog records
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