Guest of the ilb 2007
Kevin Brooks, a new voice among
British writers of books for young adults, was born in 1959 in the
county of Devon. He studied psychology, philosophy, and cultural
studies in Birmingham and London. He had been a punk musician and
painter and had worked as a petrol station attendant and at the London
Zoo before publishing his first book, »Martyn Pig«, in 2002, a
radically dark mystery novel which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal
(2002).
When asked why he writes for young adults, Brooks
explains: »Most people stop asking themselves certain questions when
they become adults [...]. I, on the other hand, feel the same as I did
when I was 14: confused. A bit frightened. Without a clear idea of
what's really going on. Therefore it's very natural for me to write
about this.« His books evoke atmospheric tension and are disturbing,
dark and full of suspense. In a powerfully poetic voice packed with
authenticity, the author describes how the everyday lives of his young
protagonists fall apart in confrontation with violence and unfortunate
coincidences. In riveting scenes, Brooks casts them alternately as
villains and victims, »speeding them into unknown territory« (»Die
Zeit«). Over and over again, he reveals the fluid boundary between fate
and accident, guilt and innocence. In quiet moments, his protagonists
become introspective, reflecting on their often painful experiences
with love, loneliness, and loss. Thus realistic portraits emerge of
today's complex world of young adults in the style of Salinger and
Chandler. Kevin Brooks' highly praised novel »Lucas« appeared in 2003:
on a small island off the English coast, a stranger appears from
nowhere – Lucas. Cait, the 15-year-old narrator, is fascinated by him
from the beginning and defends him unconditionally when the islanders
treat the mysterious teen with disapproval and undisguised hatred. In
the claustrophobic setting of the small island, a series of events
leads to an unexpected conclusion and a life-and-death struggle. »It is
the kind of book that makes you sit in silence after you have read the
last pages«, the »Sunday Times« commented. With »Kissing the Rain«
(2004), the author once again gives us an unsettling thriller about
truth and lies. Breathless and uncouth, tearing the text apart with
capitalization and slangy outbursts, Moo relates angrily and fearfully
how, as the only witness to a crime, he's gotten himself in over his
head. »It's not easy to like Moo; but to ignore him when he speaks is
unthinkable. [...] His story won't be forgotten,« said the »Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung«.
Kevin Brooks, whose books are published in America
and Europe, has received a number of international accolades. For
»Lucas« he was awarded the German Youth Literature Prize (2006). »Road
of the Dead« (2006) was shortlisted for the Edgar Allan Poe Award
(2007) and the Carnegie Medal (2007). In addition, the author was
nominated three times for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award. Brooks
is married and lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
© international literature festival berlin
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