Mark Haddon

Mark Haddon is a renowned English author, well-known for his children's books and literary fiction novels. He was born in Northampton, England in 1962 and attended Uppingham School for his early childhood education. Haddon later pursued his higher education at Merton College, Oxford, where he majored in English Literature. After graduating, he moved to Scotland and worked with disabled persons, an experience that significantly influenced his writing. In addition to taking care of patients, Haddon also worked as an illustrator, cartoonist, and in mailing and theater box offices. His fiction works were featured in cartoon strips and periodicals during this time.

Haddon is not only a successful novelist but also a talented abstract painter, illustrator, and poet. His best-known contemporary novel, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time," is a young adult novel that brought him significant fame. He is married to Dr. Sos Eltis, a Fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, and they have two sons. Haddon is a vegetarian and enjoys vegetarian cookery. He is also an atheist and has described himself as having a "religious mould" of atheism.

Haddon made his literary debut with the 1987 published title "Gilbert's Gobstopper" and has since written fifteen books for children. His novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" won seventeen literary prizes, including the Whitbread Award, in 2003. His poetry collection, "The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea," was published by Picador in 2005. His last novel, "The Red House," was published by Jonathan Cape in 2012. Haddon is also known for his series of Agent Z books and his work as a screenwriter, including the BBC television adaptation of Raymond Briggs's story Fungus the Bogeyman. He currently resides in Oxford, England with his family.