Conor Kostick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Conor Kostick
|
|
|---|---|
Kostick in 2007
|
|
| Born | Conor Kostick 26 June 1964 Chester, Cheshire, England |
| Occupation | Writer, historian |
| Citizenship | Irish |
| Genre | Fantasy, science fiction, LitRPG, children's literature |
| Notable works | Epic |
Conor Kostick (born 26 June 1964) is a well-known historian and writer. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. He has written many books, both history and fiction. Conor Kostick has also won several awards for his work. He used to be the leader of the Irish Writers Union. He was also on the board of the National Library of Ireland.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Conor Kostick was born in Chester, England. He is the older of two brothers. His parents, Gerrie and Marjorie Kostick, were both teachers. His father was Irish-Jewish and grew up in Dublin. His mother taught math. Conor's grandparents on his father's side were Polish Jews. They moved to Ireland to escape difficult times. Conor went to a local school in Chester.
Conor Kostick's Career
Conor Kostick has had an interesting career. He was once the editor of Socialist Worker in Ireland. He also wrote reviews for the Journal of Music in Ireland.
Historian and Researcher
As a historian, Conor Kostick has a special degree called a doctorate. He has taught and done research at Trinity College Dublin. He also received special research grants. These grants came from the Irish Research Council and the University of Nottingham.
Writing for Young Readers
In August 2018, Conor Kostick joined Ockham Publishing in the UK. He started a new part of the company called Level Up publishing. This new group focuses on publishing LitRPG books. LitRPG is a type of story where the characters are in a video game world.
Famous Books for Youth
Epic was Conor Kostick's first novel. It is a LitRPG book. This book was recognized by the International Board on Books for Young People in 2006. It was also on the Booklist Best Fantasy Books for Youth list in 2007. More than 100,000 copies of Epic were sold!
Saga is the next book after Epic. It was first published in Ireland in late 2006. The third book, Edda, came out five years later in 2011. These three books make up the 'Avatar Chronicles' series.
Conor Kostick also helped design Treasure Trap. This was one of the first live action role-playing games in the UK.
Other Important Roles
Conor Kostick has held many important positions. He was the chairperson of the Irish Writers Union two times. In 2010, he was chosen for the Farmleigh writer's residency. This is a special place where writers can live and work. In 2015, he became the chairperson of the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency. This agency helps protect writers' rights.
He was also the head of the Irish Jury for the EU Prize for Literature in 2015. In the same year, he joined the Board of the National Library of Ireland.
In 2018, the Kerala Literature Festival in India featured Irish literature. Conor Kostick was one of seven Irish writers invited to attend. He was again the president of the Irish Jury for the EU Prize for Literature in 2019.
In May 2025, Conor Kostick was elected to the Board of the European Writers' Council. This council represents writers across Europe.
Awards and Recognitions
Conor Kostick has received many awards for his writing and historical work.
Awards for Writing
In 2009, the Reading Association of Ireland gave him a Special Merit Award. This award recognized his important contributions to children's writing in Ireland.
He was also nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in both 2012 and 2013. This is a very important international award for children's and young adult literature.
Awards for History
As a historian, Conor Kostick has won several awards. He received a gold medal from Trinity College Dublin. He also won first prize in the 2001 Dublinia Medieval Essay Competition. He received fellowships from the Irish Research Council and the University of Nottingham. He also got a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant. In 2015, he won the British Academy's Rising Star Engagement Award.
Game Awards
Conor Kostick is also good at the game Diplomacy. He won Manorcon in 2000, which is now one of Europe's grand prix Diplomacy events. He was also part of the Irish team that won the Diplomacy National World Cup in 2012.
Personal Life
Conor Kostick's brother is the playwright Gavin Kostick.
