Niel Bushnell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niel Bushnell
Bushnell in January 2013
Born	1970 (age 54–55) Hartlepool, England
Occupation	Novelist, Screenwriter & Illustrator
Genre	Fantasy, Science fiction
Notable works	Sorrowline, Timesmith
Notable awards	Northern Promise Award 2011

Niel Bushnell, born in 1970, is an English writer and artist from Hartlepool. He is known for his exciting science fiction series, The Arkship Saga. He also writes fantasy books for kids, like Sorrowline and Timesmith. These two books are the first in The Timesmith Chronicles series. Niel also helped start an animation studio called Qurios Entertainment.

Niel Bushnell's Life and Work

Niel Bushnell grew up in Hartlepool, England. When he was younger, he worked with his school friend, Gordon Fraser. Together, they created a newspaper comic strip called The Funny Farm. It was later renamed Farmageddon. This comic strip was published in the Hartlepool Mail for 18 months. Later, Niel turned Farmageddon into an animated project.

Animation and Art

Niel loved comics, especially Star Wars Weekly, which made him want to draw and write his own. In 1990, he published his own small comic called Over The Edge. A few years later, in 1993, Niel drew artwork for a Marvel UK comic called The Incomplete Death's Head.

Since 1994, Niel has worked as an animator. He has helped create many feature films. His work includes roles on movies like Space Jam, Lost in Space, and Felidae.

In 2002, Niel and his wife, Diane, started their own animation studio. It was called Qurios Entertainment and was based in their hometown of Hartlepool. Qurios made animations for commercials and TV shows. Their TV credits include Hyperdrive, Spooks, Tracy Beaker Returns, and The Dumping Ground. Later, Qurios joined with Dene Films. Niel was the Animation Director there until 2013.

Niel also helped produce two animated episodes of the Doctor Who story The Ice Warriors. These were released on DVD in August 2013. In 2018, Niel added new animation and visual effects to another Doctor Who story, Revenge of the Cybermen. He has also created new animation and effects for other Doctor Who stories. These include The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Logopolis, Castrovalva, and The Five Doctors.

Before joining The Northern School of Art in 2019, Niel taught animation and games art. He was an Academic Tutor at the University of Sunderland. Now, he is the Cinematic Discipline Lead for Atomhawk Design.

Writing Stories

Niel has been writing his whole life. In 2009, he started working on his first novel, Sorrowline. He sent the first 30 pages of Sorrowline to the 2011 Northern Writers Awards. This event helps new writers in the north east of England. Niel won a Northern Promise Award for his work.

Sorrowline was quickly chosen to be published by Andersen Press in the UK. It was also published in Germany and Brazil. Sorrowline was even long-listed for the Branford Boase Award in 2014. This award celebrates new children's novels.

In March 2017, Niel became the first Writer in Residence at The Word. This is a special writing center in South Shields.

Niel also wrote and directed a short comedy film called DCSS. He has written audiobooks for Blake's 7 and several Doctor Who audiobooks.

Helping the Community

Niel helps support writing through his volunteer work. He is a member of the Society of Authors. He also joined the board of trustees for New Writing North in 2015.

Niel has worked on projects to promote his hometown of Hartlepool and the north-east region of England. In 2003, he helped launch the Enterprising Hartlepool campaign. This campaign aimed to show that Hartlepool was a good place for businesses.

He also helped with the Passionate People, Passionate Places campaign. This campaign promoted the north-east of England. Niel supported a campaign to get a direct train link from Hartlepool to London. In 2007, Grand Central Railway started a daily service. In 2017, he joined the Tees Valley Digital Strategy Board. This group helps grow technology industries in the area.

Niel has also raised money for charities. He ran in the Great North Run in 2007 and 2008. He also ran in the Great Edinburgh Run in 2009 and the Great North 10k Run in 2009. He raised money for Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Niel Bushnell's Books

The Timesmith Chronicles

• Sorrowline (2013)
• Timesmith (2014)

The Arkship Saga

• Arkship Obsidian (2017)
• Arkship Vengeance (2017)
• Arkship Alliance (2018)
• Arkship Conquest (2018)
• Arkship Prophecy (2019)
• Arkship Encounters (2021) - a collection of short stories
• Arkship Omega (2022)

Doctor Who Audiobooks

• Doctor Who: The Ashes of Eternity (2021)
• Doctor Who: The Ice Kings (2023)
• Doctor Who: The Romanov Project (2023)
• Doctor Who: On Ghost Beach (2024)

The Tail of Tobin Artichoke

• Tobin Artichoke and the Asylum of Atlantis (2018) - short story
• Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven (2018)

Other Works

• Altitude (2017)
• Blake's 7: Chosen (2020) audiobook
• The Worlds of Blake's 7: Avalon Volume 02 (2021) Audio drama
• The Death of Day (2024)

Short Stories

• Scissors (2015)
• Would Have, Could Have (2017)
• Follow That Ferry (2017)

Awards Niel Bushnell Has Won

• 2011 Northern Promise Award for Sorrowline.
• 2021 Europa Gold Award - Best Unproduced Screenplay for The Waiting Room.