Biography of Mark Haddon
Firstly, Mark Haddon was born on
September 26, 1962, in Northampton, a
populous area of England’s East
Midlands region. He was raised by an
architect. Although the author has been
reserved about offering information about
his early years, he has noted in interviews
that in writing fiction for children—the
literary genre in which he had his first
success—he sensed that he was always
writing for the child he once was. He has
also said that he read little fiction as a child; instead, he read books about science,
particularly chemistry and archeology. His favorite book was Origins of the
Universe (1972) by Albert Hinkelbein. He imagined that he would become a
paleontologist. In his adolescence, he discovered poetry, another of his adult writing
interests.
Then, he received his early education from Uppingham School and went on to major
in English Literature at the Merton College in Oxford. In 1984, he received a Master
of Arts from Edinburgh University. The same year, he married Sos Eltis, a fellow of
Brasenose College, Oxford. The couple had two children and settled in Oxford. When
he finished his studies, he became a caretaker for disabled people in Scotland. His
experience of taking care of patients with multiple sclerosis and autism would later
influence his literary writing. In addition to that, he did a variety of jobs, including at
a theater box office, mailing office and as a cartoonist and illustrator. His works were
illustrated in numerous periodicals and in a cartoon strip which name was “Men—A
User’s Guide”.
Then, Haddon relocated to Boston, Massachusetts and stayed there with his wife. A
year later they moved back to England where he took up his passion for abstract
painting and sold his art. Afterwards, he began writing as a children’s author. Before
producing any major work, he illustrated children’s books and wrote for popular
television shows for kids. Haddon began publishing books for children in the late
eighties ; he has noted ironically that he once imagined such writing would be easier
than writing for adults. He published his first children’s book, entitled Gilbert’s
Gobstopper, in 1987. It was followed by several books which he self-illustrated.
From the start, his children’s books incorporated humor and mystery and often
demonstrated a powerful empathy with his characters. In 1993, Haddon wrote the
first book in his famous comical children’s book series, Agent Z Meets the Masked
Crusader. The Agent Z series is set in the present day fictional city of Britain. Agent
Z is not an actual character in the series but secret identity adopted by three
