Christopher Nolan (author) facts for kids

Christopher Nolan (born September 6, 1965 – died February 20, 2009) was a famous Irish poet and author. He was born in Mullingar, Ireland, and later moved to Dublin. He went to the Central Remedial Clinic School, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, and Trinity College, Dublin.

Christopher's first book was published when he was just fifteen years old. He won the important Whitbread Book Award for his life story in 1987. He also received an honorary degree in the UK, a medal from the United Nations Society of Writers, and an award in Ireland called "Person of the Year."

Because of a condition called cerebral palsy, he could only move his head and eyes. He died on February 20, 2009, after choking.

About Christopher Nolan

His Early Life

Christopher Nolan was born to Joseph and Bernadette Nolan. He grew up in Mullingar, Ireland. When he was born, he had a condition called cerebral palsy that affected his movement. Because of this, he could only move his head and eyes.

At first, some people thought he might not be able to learn well. But his mother, Bernadette, knew they were wrong. She took him to a doctor who played games with Christopher. The doctor saw that Christopher was very smart and understood everything.

Christopher used a wheelchair to get around. When he was 10, a special medicine helped him relax. This allowed him to use a pointer attached to his head to type. To write, his mother would hold his head gently. Then, Christopher would carefully pick out each letter with the pointer on his forehead.

He also talked to people by moving his eyes in a special way. His father would read him stories and books from famous writers like James Joyce. His mother put letters of the alphabet in the kitchen and talked to him all the time. His sister, Yvonne, would sing and act out plays. His mother said he started writing a lot when he was 11. Many of his early writings were put together in his first book, Dam-Burst of Dreams.

His Later Work

As a teenager, Christopher went to the Central Remedial Clinic School, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, and Trinity College, Dublin. When he was fifteen, he published his first book of poems, Dam-Burst of Dreams.

He won many awards, including an honorary degree and the "Person of the Year" award in Ireland. In 1987, when he was 21, he wrote a book about his childhood called Under the Eye of the Clock. This book won the UK's Whitbread Book of the Year Award. After this, he left Trinity College to write a novel called The Banyan Tree, which came out in 1999.

Nolan spent over ten years writing The Banyan Tree. This book tells the story of a family who farmed dairy in his home county of Westmeath. The story is seen through the eyes of an older mother character.

His Death

Christopher Nolan was working on a new book when he died suddenly on February 20, 2009. He was 43 years old. He passed away in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, after a piece of salmon got stuck in his throat.

The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, said that Christopher Nolan was a very talented writer. She said his achievements were amazing because he faced challenges with cerebral palsy every day.

Christopher's Writing

His Books

Christopher Nolan's life story, Under the Eye of the Clock, was published in 1987. It won the Whitbread Award and was named Book of the Year. Even though it's about his life, it's told by a made-up character named Joseph Meehan. The book shows the strong bond between Nolan and his mother, whom he calls Nora. It also shows how his parents helped him by talking to him and doing outdoor activities like hiking. This book was very popular in Britain and the United States.

Nolan wrote The Banyan Tree (published in 1999) from the point of view of a country woman named Minnie O'Brien. The story covers 80 years of Minnie's life. It goes back and forth in time to show how she tries to save her family's farm. Critics liked Nolan's beautiful language and writing style in this book.

Dam-Burst of Dreams (published in 1981) brought Nolan a lot of praise. Some of the poems in this collection were written when he was only 12 years old. The title of the book shows the idea of his thoughts and ideas flowing out. The poems in this collection use a lot of alliteration (words starting with the same sound) and new words he created.

Who Inspired Him

Christopher Nolan didn't often talk about who influenced his writing. He once said, "Everything is an influence to a person trapped in a nightmare!" However, his love for books came a lot from his father. His father loved writers like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. Every night, his father would read him parts of famous books like Joyce's Ulysses. Listening to these stories made Nolan want to write his own poems.

In a poetry contest, Nolan received praise from a writer named Edna Healey. She was a judge in the competition and was one of the first people to see how talented Nolan was. She later said that reading Nolan's work was the best part of her year.

When it was time for high school, Nolan's family had to work hard to convince schools that he could learn in a regular classroom. The headmaster of Mount Temple Comprehensive School, John Medlycott, believed it was possible. He said, "We didn't make special rules for him. He joined a mixed class and went to all his lessons. We didn't ask for homework, but he followed the normal school plan. We didn't protect him too much; it was up to him to succeed, and he did."

Thanks to Mr. Medlycott, Nolan was accepted into Mount Temple. Later, he was accepted into Trinity College, Dublin, after Mr. Medlycott gave a personal recommendation.

In Pop Culture

Christopher Nolan's life and books have been mentioned in music. The rock band U2, whose members went to school with Nolan, wrote their song "Miracle Drug" about him.

Bono, the lead singer of U2, said that Christopher Nolan arrived at their school as they were leaving. He had a condition that meant he couldn't move much. But his mother believed in him and taught him at home. Eventually, a medicine helped him move one muscle in his neck. He learned to type using a special device on his forehead. From this, he wrote many poems that he had kept in his mind. His book Dam-Burst of Dreams won many awards, and he became a genius, all because of his mother's love and a medical discovery.

On R.E.M.'s 1988 album Green, the song "The Wrong Child" was inspired by Nolan's book Under the Eye of the Clock. The song is about a child who wants to play outside but is laughed at. The song repeats the line, "I'm not supposed to be like this / But it's okay."

Once, a film producer from Los Angeles wanted to make a movie about Nolan's life. Nolan said no. He explained that he wanted to show the amazing creativity inside his mind. He wanted to focus on his life, his laughter, his ideas, and his normal side, not just on his challenges.

Awards and Honors

In 1988, Christopher Nolan became a member of Aosdána, a group of Irish artists.

Every year, his old high school, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, holds an award show in his honor. These "Eye of the Clock Awards" are given to students who show amazing effort in school. They are inspired by Christopher Nolan's own hard work and achievements.