Philip Reeve
Encyclopedia
Philip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor
with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.
), where he contributed a comic strip to the Student Union magazine, and later at Brighton Polytechnic (now the University of Brighton
). Before becoming a professional illustrator he worked at a bookshop in Brighton for several years. During his student years and for a few years afterwards he wrote for and performed in comedy sketch shows with a variety of collaborators under various group names, among them The Charles Atlas Sisters.
He provided cartoons for many books including those in the Horrible Histories
and the Murderous Maths
series and wrote the Buster Bayliss series
series of books for young readers, which currently includes Night of the Living Veg, The Big Freeze, Day of the Hamster, and Custardfinger. He is also the author and illustrator of a Dead Famous book, Horatio Nelson and His Victory.
His first book for older readers was Mortal Engines
which won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award. Mortal Engines is the first book in the Mortal Engines Quartet series, which also includes Reeve's Predator's Gold
, Infernal Devices
and A Darkling Plain
. The books are about the lives of two young adventurers, Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw
, who live in a lawless post-apocalyptic world inhabited by moving cities
.
Mortal Engines took Reeve over a decade to write. He started coming up with ideas for the book between 1989 and 1990, and it was first published in 2001. This was because he was working at it part time, between illustration jobs. After it was published, however, he cut down on his illustration work and devoted his more of his time to writing, as he now knew he could fully complete a project.
His 2007 novel, Here Lies Arthur
, an alternative version of the Arthurian legend, was awarded the Carnegie Medal
. The first novel of his steampunk series set in outer space, Larklight
, was under development as a film directed by Indian director Shekhar Kapur
, but the director is no longer attached. Reeve himself professes that, when planning out stories for his novels, "I see it as a film that I run in my head, and I just keep running alternative versions of it until I come up with a cut I like. The future of the film is in the new hands of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson
.
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.
Biography
Reeve studied illustration, first at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT - now Anglia Ruskin UniversityAnglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
), where he contributed a comic strip to the Student Union magazine, and later at Brighton Polytechnic (now the University of Brighton
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
). Before becoming a professional illustrator he worked at a bookshop in Brighton for several years. During his student years and for a few years afterwards he wrote for and performed in comedy sketch shows with a variety of collaborators under various group names, among them The Charles Atlas Sisters.
He provided cartoons for many books including those in the Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. They are designed to engage children in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant. The series has proved exceptionally successful in commercial terms...
and the Murderous Maths
Murderous Maths
Murderous Maths is a series of British educational books by author Kjartan Poskitt. Most of the books in the series are illustrated by illustrator and author Philip Reeve, with the exception of "The 5ecret L1fe of Code5", which is illustrated by Ian Baker, and "The Murderous Maths of Everything",...
series and wrote the Buster Bayliss series
Buster Bayliss series
Buster Bayliss is a series of books written by British author Philip Reeve, intended for younger readers. The main character of the series is Buster Bayliss. In the stories, Buster must stop someone or something taking over the world. The catchphrase which often appears on the cover of the books is...
series of books for young readers, which currently includes Night of the Living Veg, The Big Freeze, Day of the Hamster, and Custardfinger. He is also the author and illustrator of a Dead Famous book, Horatio Nelson and His Victory.
His first book for older readers was Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve's quartet of the same name, which is also known as the Hungry City Chronicles in the United States...
which won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
The Nestlé Children's Book Prize, also known as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, was an annual award given to children's books written in the previous year by a UK citizen or resident. The prize was administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading, and sponsored by...
Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award. Mortal Engines is the first book in the Mortal Engines Quartet series, which also includes Reeve's Predator's Gold
Predator's Gold
Predator's Gold is the second of four novels in Philip Reeve's series for young adults, the Mortal Engines Quartet.-Setting:Predator's Gold is set two years after Mortal Engines...
, Infernal Devices
Infernal Devices
Infernal Devices is the third of four novels in Philip Reeve's children's series, the Mortal Engines Quartet.-Anchorage:The story continues sixteen years after the events of Predator's Gold. The peaceful city of Anchorage is now a static settlement called "Anchorage-in-Vineland" on an island in the...
and A Darkling Plain
A Darkling Plain
A Darkling Plain is the fourth and final novel in the Mortal Engines Quartet series written by author Philip Reeve.The novel won the 2006 Guardian Award and the 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction.-Setting:...
. The books are about the lives of two young adventurers, Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw
Hester Shaw
Hester Shaw is a fictional character from Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet who has terrible facial scarring, due to an attack from Thaddeus Valentine when Hester was a child.-Personality:...
, who live in a lawless post-apocalyptic world inhabited by moving cities
Traction City
In Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet, Traction Cities are vast metropolises built on tiers that are capable of moving on gigantic wheels and caterpillar tracks. These cities hunt smaller cities which in turn hunt towns which in turn hunt villages and static settlements...
.
Mortal Engines took Reeve over a decade to write. He started coming up with ideas for the book between 1989 and 1990, and it was first published in 2001. This was because he was working at it part time, between illustration jobs. After it was published, however, he cut down on his illustration work and devoted his more of his time to writing, as he now knew he could fully complete a project.
His 2007 novel, Here Lies Arthur
Here Lies Arthur
Here Lies Arthur is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve. It was first published in April 2007. The Arthur of the title is the King Arthur of legend...
, an alternative version of the Arthurian legend, was awarded the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
. The first novel of his steampunk series set in outer space, Larklight
Larklight
Larklight is a children's novel by author Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the first book in the Larklight Trilogy. The hardcover edition has alternate title lines Or the Revenge of the White Spiders! or to Saturn's Rings and Back!...
, was under development as a film directed by Indian director Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur is an Indian film director and producer. A critically acclaimed director, he rose to popularity with the movie Bandit Queen...
, but the director is no longer attached. Reeve himself professes that, when planning out stories for his novels, "I see it as a film that I run in my head, and I just keep running alternative versions of it until I come up with a cut I like. The future of the film is in the new hands of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson
Tomas Alfredson
Tomas Alfredson is a Swedish film director, best known internationally for directing the 2008 vampire film Let the Right One In...
.
Writing methods
Reeve claims not to be a methodical writer. He does not plan anything at all, usually starting with an opening image, a closing image, and a few vague notions for the things that happen in between. This leads to thousands of words of rough draft material being abandoned - even entire novels, such as with Fever Crumb and Mortal Engines. He does, however take ideas from these abandoned drafts to build the final version. It usually takes him a year to get a novel from first idea to publication, six months of which are spent actively writing it. The rest of the time is spent on editing and thinking.Buster Bayliss series
- Night of the Living Veg (2002)
- The Big Freeze (2002)
- Day of the Hamster (2002)
- Custardfinger! (2003)
Mortal Engines Quartet
(Marketed as "The Hungry City Chronicles" in the U.S.)- Mortal EnginesMortal EnginesMortal Engines is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve's quartet of the same name, which is also known as the Hungry City Chronicles in the United States...
(2001) - Predator's GoldPredator's GoldPredator's Gold is the second of four novels in Philip Reeve's series for young adults, the Mortal Engines Quartet.-Setting:Predator's Gold is set two years after Mortal Engines...
(2003) - Infernal Devices (2005)
- A Darkling PlainA Darkling PlainA Darkling Plain is the fourth and final novel in the Mortal Engines Quartet series written by author Philip Reeve.The novel won the 2006 Guardian Award and the 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction.-Setting:...
(2006)
- Traction CityTraction City (novella)Traction City is a novella by Philip Reeve and is a prequel to the Mortal Engines Quartet it was released as a flip book alongside Chris Priestlys' teachers tales of terror for World Book Day....
(World Book Day novella) (2011)
Fever Crumb Series
- Fever CrumbFever CrumbFever Crumb is the prequel to the Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve, released in 2009. A sequel called A Web of Air was released in April 2010.-Plot synopsis:...
(2009) - A Web of AirA Web of AirA Web of Air is the sequel to Fever Crumb, and the second book in the Mortal Engines Quartet prequel series. It was released in April 2010.-Information:...
(2010) - Scrivener's MoonScrivener's MoonScrivener's Moon is the sequel to A Web of Air, and the third book in the Mortal Engines Quartet prequel series. It was released in April 2011.-Information:...
(2011)
Larklight trilogy
- LarklightLarklightLarklight is a children's novel by author Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the first book in the Larklight Trilogy. The hardcover edition has alternate title lines Or the Revenge of the White Spiders! or to Saturn's Rings and Back!...
(2006) - StarcrossStarcross (novel)Starcross is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve, released in October 2007. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the second book in the Larklight Trilogy, sequel to the 2006 novel Larklight.-Plot summary:...
(2007) - MothstormMothstormMothstorm is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve, released in October 2008. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the third book in the Larklight Trilogy, sequel to the 2007 novel Starcross.-Plot:...
(2008)
Other novels
- Horatio Nelson and His Victory (2003)
- Here Lies ArthurHere Lies ArthurHere Lies Arthur is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve. It was first published in April 2007. The Arthur of the title is the King Arthur of legend...
(2007) - No Such Thing As Dragons (2009)
- Isaac Newton and His Apple(1999)
Books as illustrator
- Pantsacadabra! (2006) (with Kjartan PoskittKjartan PoskittKjartan Poskitt is an author and TV presenter who is best known for writing the Murderous Maths children's series of books.- Background :Poskitt was educated at Collingwood College, Durham.- Writing :...
) - Urgum the AxemanUrgum the AxemanThe Urgum the Axeman trilogy is a set of books written by British author Kjartan Poskitt. The character first appeared in the Murderous Maths series by Kjartan Poskitt. The story centres around Urgum, the last of the true barbarians, who lives with his wife Divina, his daughter Molly, and his...
(2006) (with Kjartan Poskitt) - Murderous MathsMurderous MathsMurderous Maths is a series of British educational books by author Kjartan Poskitt. Most of the books in the series are illustrated by illustrator and author Philip Reeve, with the exception of "The 5ecret L1fe of Code5", which is illustrated by Ian Baker, and "The Murderous Maths of Everything",...
(series) (with Kjartan Poskitt) - Awful Art (1997) (with Michael CoxMichael CoxMichael Cox may refer to:* Michael Cox , Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics* Michael Cox , Irish Palmarian Archbishop...
) - No Such Thing As Dragons (2009) (own book)
External links
- Philip Reeve's homepage
- Philip Reeve's blog
- Mortal Engines Site (requires Flash and Javascript)
- Philip Reeve biography
- Philip Reeve interview
- Questions and Answers with Philip Reeve