Simon Maginn

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Simon Maginn
Born1961 (age 6263)
Wallasey, Merseyside, England
Pen nameSimon Nolan
OccupationWriter
NationalityBritish

Simon Maginn (born 1961 in is a British horror/thriller writer. He is best known for the 1994 novel Sheep , which was released as a film under the title The Dark in 2005. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Maginn was born in Wallasey, Merseyside) in 1961. [3] He cites among his early influences films like Psycho, The Amityville Horror and The Shining , as well as novels like Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast and The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. [4] He studied music at the University of Sussex, specialising in percussion and composition. [5]

Career

Maginn published his first novel, Sheep, in 1994, which won WHSmith Fresh Talent Award. [6] He is also the author of: Virgins and Martyrs (Corgi, 1995), A Sickness of the Soul (Corgi 1995), Methods of Confinement (Black Swan 1996) and the novella Rattus (Pendragon Press 2010). The last of these was published alongside a novella by Gary Fry, in a compilation entitled Feral Companions.

Maginn has also published satirical comedies under the pseudonym Simon Nolan: As Good as it Gets (Quartet Books, 1998), The Vending Machine of Justice (Quartet Books, 2000) and Whitehawk (Revenge Ink, 2010).

In 1993, Maginn was one of six authors chosen by W. H. Smith for a campaign involving a purchase of 20,000 paperback books. [7] At the time, Maginn was a music teacher. [7]

He is politically active on and off social media. [8] In 2018, Maginn was involved in an online clash with J. K. Rowling over tweets criticizing accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party. [9] [10]

Personal Life

Maginn has spent much of his life suffering from DSPS (Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder), a chronic sleep issue, which meant that he was unable to keep a conventional job, "except for short bursts" during his twenties. This problem, he says, has since been resolved. [11]

Bibliography

Maginn, Simon (1994). Sheep. UK: Corgi. ISBN   9780552141222.

Maginn, Simon (1995). Virgins and Martyrs. UK: Corgi. ISBN   9780552142496.

Maginn, Simon (1996). A Sickness of the Soul. UK: Corgi. ISBN   9780552142502.

Maginn, Simon (1996). Methods of Confinement. UK: Black Swan. ISBN   9780552997089.

Maginn, Simon (2010). Feral Companions. UK: Pendragon. ISBN   1906864047.

As Simon Nolan:

Nolan, Simon (1998). As Good as it Gets. UK: Quartet Books. ISBN   0704381087.

Nolan, Simon (2000). The Vending Machine of Justice. UK: Quartet Books. ISBN   0704381060.

Nolan, Simon (2010). Whitehawk. UK: Revenge Ink. ISBN   978-0955807879.

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References

  1. "Leading film role for Abigail, 12". BBC News. BBC. 9 June 2004. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  2. "The Dark (2005) Review - My Bloody Reviews". 19 January 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  3. Wilson, Michael (14 January 2013). "Simon Maginn". This Is Horror. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  4. "Simon Maginn". This Is Horror. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  5. "Simon Maginn". www.fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  6. "Simon Maginn". This Is Horror. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 Joseph, Joe (30 September 1993). "New writers join fast lane to bestseller list". The Times.
  8. "The Long Coup". Jewish Voice For Labour. 23 March 2021.
  9. "J.K. Rowling calls out writer over Jeremy Corbyn and anti-Semitism: 'What other minority would you speak to this way?'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  10. "J.K. Rowling Slams British Author for Calling Jewish Outrage at Corbyn 'Synthetic'". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  11. Simon (7 March 2016). "Simon Bestwick: The Lowdown with... Simon Maginn". Simon Bestwick. Retrieved 12 June 2024.