John Flanagan (author)

John Flanagan
Flanagan in 2012
Born Johnathan Tony Flanagan
(1944-05-22) 22 May 1944
Sydney, Australia
Occupation Novelist
Language English
Nationality Australian
Genre Fantasy, Adventure
Notable works Ranger's Apprentice
Brotherband
Children Michael Flanagan[1]
Kitty Flanagan
Penny Flanagan

John Anthony Flanagan (born 22 May 1944) is an Australian fantasy author best known for his children's books. His best-known work is the Ranger's Apprentice medieval fantasy novels and its companion series Brotherband Chronicles. He also writes novels for adults.

Career

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney suburb of Clovelly and attended Waverley College,[2] Australia hoping to be a writer. It wasn’t until he wrote a very uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, that his talent was revealed. As it turned out one of the company directors agreed with John’s assessment of the executive, and agreed to train John in copywriting.[3][3] After writing advertising copy for the next two decades, Flanagan teamed up with Gary Reilly, who co-created the long time running television series Hey Dad..! for which Flanagan wrote 293 episodes. John also wrote for Hampton Court and My Two Wives.[2]

Flanagan started working on what would become Ranger's Apprentice in the 1990s, originally comprising twenty short stories for his twelve year old son Michael. Flanagan wanted to encourage his son to read, as well as show him that heroes, like the main character Will, don't have to be big and strong; Michael was a small boy, and all his friends were bigger and stronger than he was. In the early 2000s, John decided to make the stories into the first novel The Ruins of Gorlan.[4] This was published in 2004, when he was 60.[2] There are currently eleven books in the Ranger's Apprentice.

In 2008, he won the Australian Publishers Association's Book of the Year for "Older Children and the International Success Award" for Erak's Ransom.[5]

The series has become steadily more popular. They are being sold in more than eighteen countries, appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List and are regularly shortlisted for children’s book awards in Australia and overseas.

Bibliography

Ranger's Apprentice

  1. The Ruins of Gorlan (2004)
  2. The Burning Bridge (2005)
  3. The Icebound Land (2005)
  4. Oakleaf Bearers (2006) (The Battle for Skandia in the US)
  5. The Sorcerer in the North (2006) (The Sorcerer of the North in the US)
  6. The Siege of Macindaw (2007)
  7. Erak's Ransom (2007)
  8. The Kings of Clonmel (2008)
  9. Halt's Peril (2009)
  10. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (2010)
  11. The Lost Stories (2011)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years

  1. The Tournament at Gorlan (2015)
  2. The Battle of Hackham Heath (2016)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger

  1. A New Beginning (2013)
  2. The Red Fox Clan (2018)
  3. Duel At Araluen (2018)

Brotherband

  1. The Outcasts (2011)
  2. The Invaders (2012)
  3. The Hunters (2012)
  4. Slaves of Socorro (2014)
  5. Scorpion Mountain (2014)
  6. The Ghostfaces (2016)
  7. The Caldera (2017)

Jesse Parker

  1. Storm Peak (2009)
  2. Avalanche Pass (2010)

Adult novels

  1. The Grey Raider (2015)

Personal life

John lives with his wife, Leonie, in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly, New South Wales. He is currently writing further titles in the Brotherband series. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

References

  1. ↑ "John Flanagan at IMDb". Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Mark McEvoy, "Sea adventures a new tack for children's author", Sunday Age, 5 July 2015, m16
  3. 1 2 Charles, Ron (23 July 2006). "We Interview: John Flanagan". Washington Post. p. BW9.
  4. ↑ "Random House UK – John Flanagan". Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "Brooks wins Book of the Year award", The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 June 2008
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