Interview with Eoin Colfer on tour
By Sarah
Based on the best selling series, Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer’s tour, aptly named ‘Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence’, was a must see for all fans of the books.
The show, presented by Eoin Colfer himself, took you behind the scenes to unravel the ideas and inspiration behind the people and places we all know and love, and behind stories supplying us all with countless enjoyable moments.
Eoin showed how the main characters developed in a way only he could – embarrassing family photographs and witty anecdotes about life growing up in a large family in Ireland in the ‘70s.
The entire show was full of hilarious home truths and fascinating facts that only the eager eyed may have previously noticed. For example, did you know that ‘Artemis Fowl’ is linked in some way to many of Eoin’s other books – that place names are often the same and that Stefan Bashkir (‘the Supernaturalist’) is the same name that Artemis uses when undercover in Russia.
The tour is a definite hit and bound to be just as successful as the books have been and indeed still are.
I was lucky enough to get an interview with the man himself, Eoin Colfer:
What do you enjoy most about being an author?
I enjoy two completely different things about being an author. I enjoy being alone and the peace that comes with writing, but I also love meeting readers and seeing what they have to say. I am quite a fickle person though, so when I am alone I want people and when I meet and greet I sometimes just want to be alone.
Why did you decide to write a series like Artemis Fowl?
I have been a fan of fantasy novels since I was about 10, and it has been my ambition to write a book since I was very young. I knew it was going to be fantasy and the LEP-recon idea came about when an American friend mispronounced the word leprechaun. I thought about what it could mean in terms of a novel and, so far, have managed to make 6 books out of it!
Which author do you feel has influenced you and your books the most?
I feel I have been strongly influenced by Terry Pratchett. I like authors who can write an entire series, such as ‘Discworld’, and to still have the same high standards the whole way through. It is so easy for readers to lose interest by book 4 or 5 and I don’t want that to happen.
Why do you feel that ‘Artemis Fowl’ has become so popular?
It’s difficult to comment on your own books but in general I think that you have to stick to the important bits and really make them stand out. You also have to form good relationships between characters so the readers can anticipate what they will do in a situation. If a reader doesn’t understand how a character works and reacts they won’t understand a story fully either.
Which of your characters is your favourite and why?
Captain Holly Short is definitely my favourite because she is the hero. She has a hard time getting along with colleagues because of what she does but is determined and hardworking and always succeeds. She is a plucky character and I like her a lot.
And which character do you feel is most like you?
I think Foaly is probably most like me because of his joky nature, but lots of my characters are based on people I know. Artemis himself is based on one of my younger brothers, as is Mulch Diggums and even one of the goblins!
Which of your books is your favourite and which other currently available book do you wish you had written?
I think that my new book has to be my favourite because an author always aims to make a new book better than the one before. If I had to choose a book I wish I had written it would be ‘What I Was’ by Meg Rosoff. I think it’s a great, easy to read book and I really enjoy it, although I wouldn’t mind working on Hello magazine either!
Finally, what else is there for us to look forward to from you or Artemis in the near future?
I am currently staring work on a sequel to ‘Supernaturalist’ and there will be a new Artemis book next year, even though I don’t have any ideas yet … maybe something to do with ice hockey … or maybe not. Casting for the Artemis Fowl movie is supposed to be taking place after Christmas too … but they’ve been saying that for 5 years now and still nothing.
Thank you Eoin. I’m sure the tour will be a success and we eagerly await more from you soon.