Author says writing is about telling your stories

by Mary Markosian

J.E. Cosgriff Memorial Advancement Director

SALT LAKE CITY — "Writing is about your own stories, writing is about reading a lot, and writing is about paying attention," said Eoin Colfer, author.

Colfer was welcomed by more than 600 people as students from J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School, Kearns-St. Ann School, Our Lady of Lourdes School, Uintah Elementary, Hillside Junior High, and Hawthorne Elementary School gathered at Cosgriff School to hear him speak Oct. 10. Colfer was a delight, extremely entertaining, and inspiring.

Colfer was born and raised in Ireland, and spoke of stories from his youth and several stories about his two sons. He taught school for several years but is currently a performer. He is getting ready to do a one-man show in London titled, "Fairies, Fiends, and Flatulence."

"As an author, I have always enjoyed performing and was very honored to be the first writer to win a Herald Angel Award for Performance at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004," said Colfer. "In this new series, I promise to take my audiences on an adrenaline-fueled exposé of teenage criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl."

Colfer has received international acclaim for his Artemis Fowl series. The other four books in the series are: "The Lost Colony," "The Opal Deception," "The Eternity Code," and "The Arctic Incident." The series tells the story of an Irish boy genius who wants to steal the secrets of Fairie World. Artemis brings his prodigious talents and resources to bear on this task. The characters in this series are unforgettable, and Colfer uses his sense of humor to enhance every story. There is also a secret language in the books that gives readers a chance to play detective.

"Eoin Colfer was really funny," said Patrick Neville, a sixth-grader at Cosgriff School. "I knew he would be funny because his books made me laugh a lot."

Colfer is beginning a new series called "Half-Moon Investigations." Fletcher Moon is a private eye and his internet-acquired badge proves it. Readers will laugh as they follow Feltcher’s first case in which a big surprise is the bad guys turn out to be a group you would never suspect.

This event was arranged by the King’s English Book Shop in Salt Lake City. Colfer’s publisher, Hatchette, underwrites his tour, which also made this event possible.