David Mitchell (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Mitchell
|
|
|---|---|
Mitchell in 2006
|
|
| Born | David Stephen Mitchell 12 January 1969 Southport, England |
| Occupation | Novelist, television writer, screenwriter |
| Education | University of Kent |
| Period | 1999–present |
| Notable works | number9dream Cloud Atlas |
| Notable awards | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 1999 Ghostwritten |
| Spouse | Keiko Yoshida |
| Children | 2 |
David Stephen Mitchell (born 12 January 1969) is an English novelist, television writer, and screenwriter. He is known for his unique and complex stories.
He has written nine novels. Two of his books, number9dream (2001) and Cloud Atlas (2004), were chosen for the famous Booker Prize. David Mitchell has also written articles for newspapers like The Guardian. He has even translated books from Japanese to English, especially ones about autism.
Contents
David Mitchell: Author and Storyteller
Early Life and Travels
David Mitchell was born in Southport, England. He grew up in Malvern, Worcestershire. He went to Hanley Castle High School. Later, he studied English and American Literature at the University of Kent. He also earned a master's degree in Comparative Literature.
Mitchell lived in Sicily for a year. Then, he moved to Hiroshima, Japan. He taught English to students there for eight years. After that, he returned to England. He wanted to focus on writing and support his wife.
His Amazing Books and Awards
Mitchell's first novel was Ghostwritten (1999). This book tells nine different stories that are all connected. They take place in many locations, from Japan to New York City. This novel won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. It was also considered for the Guardian First Book Award.
His next two novels were number9dream (2001) and Cloud Atlas (2004). Both books were very popular. They were also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
In 2003, Mitchell was named one of the best young British novelists by Granta magazine. In 2007, Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World.
His novel Cloud Atlas was made into a movie in 2012. This book has many different narrators, just like his first novel. A part of his book number9dream was also made into a short film. It was called The Voorman Problem and was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2013.
Mitchell has also written stories for operas. One opera, Wake, was based on a fireworks disaster. Another opera he created is called Sunken Garden.
Many of Mitchell's book covers were designed by Kai and Sunny. He also wrote short stories for their art shows.
His sixth novel, The Bone Clocks, came out in 2014. Mitchell said this book has "dollops of the fantastic in it." It explores ideas about life and death. The Bone Clocks was also longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.
David Mitchell was the second author to join the Future Library project. He wrote a book called From Me Flows What You Call Time. This book will be published in 2114!
His ninth novel, Utopia Avenue, was published in 2020. This was during the first year of the Covid 19 pandemic.
All of Mitchell's fictional works are connected. They feature characters and themes that appear in different books. He calls this his 'macronovel', like one big, ongoing story.
Working on Films and TV Shows
After the movie Cloud Atlas came out, Mitchell started working as a screenwriter. He worked with Lana Wachowski, one of the directors of Cloud Atlas.
In 2015, Mitchell helped write and plan scenes for the TV series Sense8 on Netflix. He also helped write the final episode of the series. He had a contract to write for a third season, but Netflix cancelled the show.
In 2019, it was announced that Mitchell would work with Lana Wachowski again. He helped write the screenplay for the movie The Matrix Resurrections, which came out in 2021.
His Personal Life
David Mitchell and his wife, Keiko Yoshida, live in Ardfield, Ireland. They have two children. Mitchell once wrote that he always wanted to be a writer. He felt that living in Japan helped him focus on his writing.
Mitchell has a stammer. He thinks the movie The King's Speech (2010) shows what it's like to have a stammer very well. He said he wrote about it in his novel Black Swan Green. This book is narrated by a 13-year-old boy who stammers. Mitchell supports the British Stammering Association.
Mitchell's son has autism. In 2013, Mitchell and his wife translated a book. It was written by a 13-year-old Japanese boy with autism, Naoki Higashida. The book is called The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism. In 2017, they translated a second book by Higashida, Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism.
List of Works
Novels
- Ghostwritten (1999)
- number9dream (2001)
- Cloud Atlas (2004)
- Black Swan Green (2006)
- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010)
- The Bone Clocks (2014)
- Slade House (2015)
- Utopia Avenue (2020)
Novellas
- From Me Flows What You Call Time (2016; to be published in 2114 as part of the Future Library project)
Other Works
David Mitchell has also written many short stories. Some of these stories were later included in his novels. He has also written articles for different magazines and newspapers. These articles often share his thoughts on books, writing, and personal experiences.
He has written librettos (the words for operas) for two operas:
- "Wake" (2010)
- "Sunken Garden" (2013)
He has also translated books from Japanese to English, including works by Naoki Higashida. Mitchell also helped write parts of the live show "Before the Dawn" for singer Kate Bush. He also co-wrote screenplays for TV shows and movies, like Sense8 and The Matrix Resurrections.
See also
In Spanish: David Mitchell para niños
