Brian Conaghan
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Brian Conaghan was born in 1971. He was raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge but now lives and works as a teacher in Dublin.
Brian is author of When Mr Dog Bites , first published in the UK in January 2014 to great critical acclaim and which was shortlisted for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal. The Bombs That Brought Us Together was published to yet more acclaim in 2016 and went on to win the 2016 Costa Children's Book Award. His next book, We Come Apart, is a collaboration with the 2016 Carnegie Medal Winner, Sarah Crossan, and was the Bookseller's Book of the Month in their February 2017 preview. Brian has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. Over the years Brian has made his dosh as a painter and decorator, a barman, a DJ, an actor, a teacher and now a writer. He currently lives in Dublin with two beauties who hinder his writing: his wife Orla and daughter Rosie. |
You can follow Brian on Twitter - @BrianConaghan - and find out more about him at Bloomsbury, here
Selected praise for The Bombs That Brought Us Together:
WINNER OF THE 2016 COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD
“A dark, powerful tale of survival, morality and loyalty” – Scotsman
“A clever, entertaining and engaging piece of writing ... very carefully composed and gradually seducing its readers with its sense of fun, detail and, as appropriate, seriousness.” – Robert Dunbar, Irish Times
“The Bombs That Brought Us Together has all the warmth and humour of Mr Dog whilst also dealing with some pretty heavyweight issues, including immigration and cultural identity … Phenomenal” – Sarah Crossan
"I loved When Mr Dog Bites and have been wondering what [Conaghan] would do next. And it's utterly different. But equally remarkable ... Humanity and humour thread through the challenging storyline from the first page to the very last ... It's a triumph of a read. And an original one, too. We loved it." The Bookbag
“In this novel Brian Conaghan shows us that he is absolute master at creating believable, funny, brave and vulnerable young male characters” – School Librarian
"This accomplished new novel establishes [Conaghan] as a major talent. It's incredibly powerful and thought-provoking on big issues such as nationalism, war and refugees, and poses some challenging moral questions. It's also brilliantly funny, with characters you will really root for." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller
"A story about friendship, love and the fight for freedom and just how far one is willing to go to achieve it… Utterly compelling... At times uncomfortable and heart breaking, it is also a celebration of friendship of difference and how humans can survive. I utterly recommend this novel." Literature Works
"Funny, tender, surprising and uplifting ... Hugely entertaining and highly original." LoveReading4Kids
"Full of excitement and tension ... a definite re-read, I couldn’t put it down!" Smithy-Boy's Book Reviews (Book reviews for kids by a kid)
"Reminded me a great deal of Ireland in the 1980's and The Troubles. To start with, that is what I thought I was reading about... a real page-turner." Mary's Bookcase
WINNER OF THE 2016 COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD
“A dark, powerful tale of survival, morality and loyalty” – Scotsman
“A clever, entertaining and engaging piece of writing ... very carefully composed and gradually seducing its readers with its sense of fun, detail and, as appropriate, seriousness.” – Robert Dunbar, Irish Times
“The Bombs That Brought Us Together has all the warmth and humour of Mr Dog whilst also dealing with some pretty heavyweight issues, including immigration and cultural identity … Phenomenal” – Sarah Crossan
"I loved When Mr Dog Bites and have been wondering what [Conaghan] would do next. And it's utterly different. But equally remarkable ... Humanity and humour thread through the challenging storyline from the first page to the very last ... It's a triumph of a read. And an original one, too. We loved it." The Bookbag
“In this novel Brian Conaghan shows us that he is absolute master at creating believable, funny, brave and vulnerable young male characters” – School Librarian
"This accomplished new novel establishes [Conaghan] as a major talent. It's incredibly powerful and thought-provoking on big issues such as nationalism, war and refugees, and poses some challenging moral questions. It's also brilliantly funny, with characters you will really root for." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller
"A story about friendship, love and the fight for freedom and just how far one is willing to go to achieve it… Utterly compelling... At times uncomfortable and heart breaking, it is also a celebration of friendship of difference and how humans can survive. I utterly recommend this novel." Literature Works
"Funny, tender, surprising and uplifting ... Hugely entertaining and highly original." LoveReading4Kids
"Full of excitement and tension ... a definite re-read, I couldn’t put it down!" Smithy-Boy's Book Reviews (Book reviews for kids by a kid)
"Reminded me a great deal of Ireland in the 1980's and The Troubles. To start with, that is what I thought I was reading about... a real page-turner." Mary's Bookcase
Here's Brian talking about the ideas that inform The Bombs That Brought Us Together and explaining a little about the universality of Charlie and Pav's story....
Here's a clip of US students Sam Schcimek and Chris Burnette performing their own adaptation of When Mr Dog Bites at a US National Tourettes Association brunch in New York in 2014. Below that, you'll find a slideshow of snippets of life wisdom from Dylan Mint himself AND, as if that's not enough, you can scroll down for some selected critical acclaim and a YouTube interview with the man Conaghan himself....
Selected praise for When Mr Dog Bites:
“I loved Dylan Mint. He made me laugh out loud and his tenacity had me rooting for him from the first page” – Stephen Kelman
“It's the F-word – funny, foul-mouthed, fantastic!” – Charlie Higson
"Brave and ambitious" Daily Mail
"So surprising and charming it would be hard not to feel a little uplifted." Observer
"Funny, moving and inspirational" Sunday Mail
“Beautifully observed and hilariously uncomfortable ... Mint has a certain charm, and his mangled language and omnivorous approach to slang suggest a lively, inquiring brain” – Philip Womack, Guardian
"Touching and unforgettable" Daily Express
"A very human story of relationships and loyalty" Irish Examiner
“Energetic, confident and compassionate ... There's a genuine exuberance about it ... [Conaghan] is one to watch” – Scotland on Sunday
“What a rip-roaring ride it is! Sixteen-year-old Dylan Mint has Tourette's Syndrome which leads him to shout unsavoury – and sometimes downright obscene – things in moments of stress. In the back of his mind Mr Dog growls and the more the stress the louder Dylan barks. So if you enjoyed Curious Incident or My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher then keep your eyes peeled for When Mr Dog Bites” – New Books Magazine
“I loved, loved, loved this story. Loved it ... I loved Dylan. I loved his mum. I loved his best bud Amir. I loved Michelle Stroppy Malloy. I loved Dylan's incredibly honest and incredibly politically incorrect use of language outside of his Tourette's – it's meaning, not words, that do the hurting ... I won't forget Dylan Mint in a very long time” – TheBookbag.co.uk
“Entertaining” – Big Issue
“A fun read that still manages to tackle issues of disability, race and poverty” – RTE Guide
“One of the book's most engaging characteristics, its often hilarious (and often scatological) humour … This is a portrayal of young male bonding, complete with all the lively banter of true camaraderie, at its most tender and affectionate” – Irish Times
“There is a sense of exhilarating authenticity in the wordplay of this his second novel ... After all When Mr Dog Bites' breath-taking pleasure partly is that it manages to make a difficult subject charmingly feelgood. “Heart: swollen,” writes Mint at one point – and I felt that too” – Glasgow Herald
There's also a YouTube video interview with Brian on the link, below:
“I loved Dylan Mint. He made me laugh out loud and his tenacity had me rooting for him from the first page” – Stephen Kelman
“It's the F-word – funny, foul-mouthed, fantastic!” – Charlie Higson
"Brave and ambitious" Daily Mail
"So surprising and charming it would be hard not to feel a little uplifted." Observer
"Funny, moving and inspirational" Sunday Mail
“Beautifully observed and hilariously uncomfortable ... Mint has a certain charm, and his mangled language and omnivorous approach to slang suggest a lively, inquiring brain” – Philip Womack, Guardian
"Touching and unforgettable" Daily Express
"A very human story of relationships and loyalty" Irish Examiner
“Energetic, confident and compassionate ... There's a genuine exuberance about it ... [Conaghan] is one to watch” – Scotland on Sunday
“What a rip-roaring ride it is! Sixteen-year-old Dylan Mint has Tourette's Syndrome which leads him to shout unsavoury – and sometimes downright obscene – things in moments of stress. In the back of his mind Mr Dog growls and the more the stress the louder Dylan barks. So if you enjoyed Curious Incident or My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher then keep your eyes peeled for When Mr Dog Bites” – New Books Magazine
“I loved, loved, loved this story. Loved it ... I loved Dylan. I loved his mum. I loved his best bud Amir. I loved Michelle Stroppy Malloy. I loved Dylan's incredibly honest and incredibly politically incorrect use of language outside of his Tourette's – it's meaning, not words, that do the hurting ... I won't forget Dylan Mint in a very long time” – TheBookbag.co.uk
“Entertaining” – Big Issue
“A fun read that still manages to tackle issues of disability, race and poverty” – RTE Guide
“One of the book's most engaging characteristics, its often hilarious (and often scatological) humour … This is a portrayal of young male bonding, complete with all the lively banter of true camaraderie, at its most tender and affectionate” – Irish Times
“There is a sense of exhilarating authenticity in the wordplay of this his second novel ... After all When Mr Dog Bites' breath-taking pleasure partly is that it manages to make a difficult subject charmingly feelgood. “Heart: swollen,” writes Mint at one point – and I felt that too” – Glasgow Herald
There's also a YouTube video interview with Brian on the link, below:
RIGHTS SOLD:
WHEN MR DOG BITES
German - Arche and Atrium
Danish - Rosinante
Portuguese (Brazil) - Rocco
Estonian - Helios
Turkish - Pegasus
RIGHTS HELD BY BLOOMSBURY
German - Arche and Atrium
Danish - Rosinante
Portuguese (Brazil) - Rocco
Estonian - Helios
Turkish - Pegasus
RIGHTS HELD BY BLOOMSBURY
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