Deary, Terry 1946–
Deary, Terry 1946–
(Jack Marlowe)
Personal
Born January 3, 1946, in Sunderland, England; son of William (a butcher) and Freda (a store manager; maiden name, Hanson) Deary; married Jennifer Trick (a teacher), January 3, 1975; children: Sara. Education: Sunderland College of Education, Teacher's Certificate, 1968. Politics: "Anarchist." Religion: "Existentialist." Hobbies and other interests: Playing cricket, distance running, restoring and driving Mini-Cooper sports cars, playing folk-guitar and listening to contemporary country music.
Addresses
Home—Board Inn, Burnhope, Durham DH7 ODP, England. Office—Grindon Broadway Teachers' Centre, Sunderland, England. E-mail—[email protected].
Career
Writer. Red House School, Sunderland, England, teacher, 1968–72; Breconshire Theatre Company, Powys (formerly Breconshire), Wales, actor, 1972–75; Lowestoft Theatre Centre, Suffolk, England, director, 1975–77; Kirkley High School, Suffolk, teacher, 1977–79; Tynewear Theatre Company, Newcastle, England, theatre education officer, 1979–80; Hetton School, Hetton, England, drama teacher and department head, 1983–87; Sunderland Schools, Sunderland, educational advisor, 1987–. Writer and presenter of children's educational magazine programs for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Durham, England, 1970–71. Performer on one-man show The Terry Deary History Roadshow, 2000–03.
Member
British Actors Equity Association.
Awards, Honors
Blue Peter Book Awards for "The Best Book of Knowledge," BBC Children's Program, 2000, for The Terrible Tudors, 2001, for Rotten Romans; Doctor of Education, Sunderland University, 2000.
Writings
FICTION
The Custard Kid, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1978, reprinted, 2001.
Calamity Kate, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1980, reprinted, 2001.
Hope Street, Cassell (London, England), 1980.
Twist of the Knife, Longman (New York, NY), 1981.
The Lambton Worm, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 1981.
The Wishing Well Ghost, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1983, reprinted, 2002.
Walking Shadows, Longman (New York, NY), 1983.
The Windmill of Nowhere, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1984.
The Silent Scream, Hutchinson (London, England), 1984.
I Met Her on a Rainy Day, Longman (New York, NY), 1985.
Don't Dig up Your Granny When She's Dead: Four Stories, Longman (New York, NY), 1985.
The Ice House of Nightmare Avenue, illustrated by David Brown, Longman (New York, NY), 1986.
The Treasure of Skull Island, Longman (New York, NY), 1986.
A Witch in Time, illustrated by Patrick Lynch, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1986.
(With Alan C. McLean) Spine Chilling Stories: Three Stories, Longman (New York, NY), 1987.
Skeleton in the Cupboard, illustrated by Jon Miller, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1988.
The Dream Seller, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1988.
The Ghosts of Batwing Castle, illustrated by Shoo Rayner, Hippo (London, England), 1988.
Bad Bart and Billy the Brave, illustrated by Jon Miller, Hodder & Stoughton, 1989.
The Magic of the Mummy, illustrated by Katey Farrell, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1990.
The Treasure of Crazy Horse, illustrated by John Eastwood, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1990, reprinted, 2001.
The Gott Street Gang, illustrated by Steve Donald, Hippo (London, England), 1991.
The Great Father Christmas Robbery, illustrated by Stuart Trotter, Hippo (London, England), 1991.
The Joke Factory, illustrated by Jonathan Pugh, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1991.
Ghost Town, illustrated by Charlotte Firmin, A. & C. Black (Essex, England), 1992, reprinted, 2001.
Shadow Play, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1992.
Another Time, Another Place, Ginn (Oxford, England), 1995.
Spooks, (short stories) F. Watts (New York, NY), 1995.
Disaster, (short stories) F. Watts (New York, NY), 1995.
Terror (short stories) F. Watts (New York, NY), 1995.
Mystery (short stories) F. Watts (New York, NY), 1995.
The Fun of the Fair, illustrated by Sarah Warburton, Ginn (Oxford, England), 1995.
The Real Joan of Arc? A History Mystery, illustrated by Linda Birch, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1996.
The Truth about Guy Fawkes: A History Mystery, illustrated by Linda Birch, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1996.
Who Killed Kit Marlowe? A History Mystery, illustrated by Linda Birch, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1996.
Who Shot Queen Victoria? A History Mystery, illustrated by Linda Birch, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1996.
Top Ten Greek Legends, illustrated by Michael Tickner, Hippo (London, England), 1998.
Top Ten Shakespeare Stories, illustrated by Michael Tickner, Hippo (London, England), 1998, published as Shakespeare Stories, Scholastic (London, England), 2004.
Ghost for Sale, illustrated by Steve Donald, Barrington Stoke (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1999.
The Hat Trick, illustrated by Steve Donald, Barrington Stoke (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2002.
The Ape Escape, illustrated by Mike Sparrow, Creative Characters Partnership (Binstead, England), 2004.
The Boy Who Haunted Himself, Usborne, 2004.
The Thief, the Fool, and the Big Fat King, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.
The Magic and the Mummy, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
The Maid, the Witch, and the Cruel Queen, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
The Gold in the Grave, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
War Games, Barrington Stoke (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2004.
The Phantom and the Fisherman, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
Pitt Street Pirates (reader), illustrated by Steve Donald, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Stone Arch Books (Mankato, MN), 2006.
The Plot on the Pyramid, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
The Prince, the Cook, and the Cunning King, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
The Actor, the Rebel, and the Wrinkled Queen, illustrated by Helen Flook, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2004, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.
The Fire Thief, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 2006.
Flight of the Fire Thief (sequel to The Fire Thief), Kingfisher (London, England), 2006.
"CLASSIFIED" SERIES; NOVELS
The Nuclear Winter Man, Kingfisher (London, England), Kingfisher (London, England), 1996.
Break Out!, Kingfisher (London, England), Kingfisher (London, England), 1996.
The Philadelphia Experiment, Kingfisher (London, England), 1996, published as Vanished, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1996.
Discovery at Roswell, Kingfisher (London, England), Kingfisher (London, England), 1996, published as Alien Landing, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1996.
"TUDOR TERROR" SERIES; NOVELS
The Prince of Rags and Patches, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Orion (London, England), 1997.
The King in Blood Red and Gold, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Orion (London, England), 1997.
The Lady of Fire and Tears, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Dolphin (London, England), 1998.
The Knight of Stars and Storms, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Orion (London, England), 1998.
The Lord of the Dreaming Globe, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Dolphin (London, England), 1998.
The Queen of the Dying Light, illustrated by Hamesh Alles, Dolphin (London, England), 1999.
"TIME DETECTIVES" SERIES; NOVELS
The Witch of Nightmare Avenue, Faber (London, England), 2000.
The Pirates of the Dark Park, Faber (London, England), 2000.
The Princes in Terror Tower, illustrated by Martin Remphry, Faber (London, England), 2000.
King Arthur's Bones, Faber (London, England), 2000.
"SPARK FILES" SERIES; NOVELS
(With Barbara Allen) Chop and Change, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1998.
(With Barbara Allen) Bat and Ball, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1998.
(With Barbara Allen) Space Race, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
(With Barbara Allen) Shock Tactics, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
(With Barbara Allen) Dog Run, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
(With Barbara Allen) Dark Forces, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
(With Barbara Allen) Magical Magnets, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
(With Barbara Allen) Light and Wrong, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 1999.
"TRUE STORIES" SERIES; NONFICTION
True Monster Stories, Hippo (London, England), 1992.
True Horror Stories, Hippo (London, England), 1993, Puffin (New York, NY), 1996.
True Crime Stories, Hippo (London, England), 1994, Puffin (New York, NY), 1997.
True Detective Stories, Hippo (London, England), 1996.
True Ghost Stories, illustrated by David Wyatt, Puffin (New York, NY), 1996, published as Terry Deary's Terribly True Ghost Stories, 2006.
True UFO Stories, illustrated by David Wyatt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997, published as Terry Deary's Terribly True UFO Stories, 2007.
True War Stories, illustrated by David Wyatt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997, published as Terry Deary's Terribly True War Stories, 2006.
True Shark Stories, Hippo (London, England), 1998, published as Terry Deary's Terribly True Shark Stories, 2006.
True Disaster Stories, illustrated by David Wyatt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1999.
True Mystery Stories, illustrated by David Wyatt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.
"HORRIBLE HISTORIES" SERIES; NONFICTION
The Terrible Tudors, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1993.
The Awesome Egyptians, illustrated by Martin Brown, Gardners Books (Phoenix, AZ), 1993.
The Rotten Romans, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1994.
The Blitzed Brits, illustrated by Kate Sheppard, Hippo (London, England), 1994.
The Vicious Vikings, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1994.
The Vile Victorians, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1994.
Cruel Kings and Mean Queens, illustrated by Kate Sheppard, Deutsch (London, England), 1995.
The Slimy Stuarts, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1996.
Dreadful Diary, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.
The 20th Century, Scholastic (London, England), 1996.
The Measly Middle Ages, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1996.
The Groovy Greeks, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1996.
Wicked Words, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Deutsch (London, England), 1996.
The Cut Throat Celts, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1997.
Dark Knights and Dingy Castles, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Hippo (London, England), 1997.
The Angry Aztecs, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1997.
The Savage Stone Age, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1997.
Bloody Scotland, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1998.
The Gorgeous Georgians, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1998.
Even More Terrible Tudors, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1998.
The Frightful First World War, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1998.
Rowdy Revolutions, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Scholastic (London, England), 1999.
The Woeful Second War, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 1999.
The Massive Millennium Quiz Book: 1,000 Questions for 1,000 Years, Scholastic (London, England), 1999.
The Mad Millennium: A Play, Hippo (London, England), 1999.
Horribly Huge Quiz Book, Scholastic (London, England), 1999.
Horrible Christmas, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2000.
Ireland, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2000.
The Incredible Incas, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Scholastic (London, England), 2000.
The Smashing Saxons, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 2000.
The Stormin' Normans, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2001.
The USA, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2001.
The Awesome Ancient Quiz Book, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2001.
The Stormin' Normans Activity Book, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2001.
The Barmy British Empire, Scholastic (London, England), 2002.
France, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2002.
The Ruthless Romans, illustrated by Martin Brown, Hippo (London, England), 2003.
The Wicked History of the World, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2003.
England, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2004.
The Mad Miscellany, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2004.
The Villainous Victorians, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2004.
Edinburgh, illustrated by Mike Philips, Scholastic (London, England), 2005.
Loathsome London, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2005.
Rotten Rulers, illustrated by Mike Philips, Scholastic (London, England), 2005.
York, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2005.
The Monstrous Miscellany, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Dublin, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Stratford upon Avon: Horrible Histories Handbook, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Awful Egyptians, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.
Pirates: Horrible Histories Handbook, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Knights, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Grisly Quiz Book and Gruesome Games, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.
Horrible Christmas Sticker Book, illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic (London, England), 2006.
Oxford, Scholastic (London, England), 2007.
"TRULY TERRIBLE TALES" SERIES; NONFICTION
Explorers, illustrated by Scoular Anderson, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.
Scientists, illustrated by Scoular Anderson, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.
Inventors, illustrated by Scoular Anderson, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.
Writers, illustrated by Scoular Anderson, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.
OTHER
Teaching through Theatre: Six Practical Projects, S. French (London, England), 1977.
The Real Maria Marten (adult documentary novel), East Anglian Publishers (Norfolk, England), 1979.
(Compiler) The Hippo Book of Hilarious Poetry, illustrated by Stuart Trotter, Hippo (London, England), 1989.
Father Christmas's Joke Book, illustrated by Stuart Trotter, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1990, published as The Big Fat Father Christmas Joke Book, Hippo (London, England), 2000.
S'no Joke Book, illustrated by Stuart Trotter, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1992.
Diary of a Murder, Ginn (Oxford, England), 1995.
All about Bede: The Life and Times of the Venerable Bede, 672-735 A.D., Wear Books (Sunderland, England), 1996.
(Under pseudonym Jack Marlowe) Yesterday's Toys and Games, HarperCollins (London, England), 1996.
Potty Politics, illustrated by Tony Reeve, Hippo (London, England), 1997.
(With Barbara Allen) How Things Work, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 2000.
(With Barbara Allen) The Wonders of Maths, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 2000.
(With Barbara Allen) The Secrets of Science, illustrated by Philip Reeve, Faber (London, England), 2000.
Stories anthologized in books, including Thrilling Stories of Mystery and Adventure, Hamlyn (London, England), 1982, and Spine Chilling Stories, Longman (London, England), 1987. Author of scripts for television series Henry VIII's Wives, for BBC, and Terry Deary's Twisted Tales, for ITV. Author of radio series Terrible Tales of Wales, broadcast on BBC Wales, 2005.
Adaptations
The "Horrible Histories" series was adapted for audiocassette, read by the author, BBC Audiobooks, 2002.
Work in Progress
Several books in the "Horrible Histories" series, including, Witches and Warriors, 2007; and Horrible Histories Pop-Up Book, 2008.
Sidelights
An amazingly prolific writer who has penned stories for both elementary and high-school readers, Terry Deary is best known for his "Horrible Histories" series, a collection of nonfiction books designed to make subjects like history and science interesting to even the most reluctant readers. Millions of the "Horrible History" books have been sold in Deary's native United Kingdom, where new series installments are often spotted on bestselling charts for nonfiction. While the "Horrible History" series would keep most writers busy full time, for Deary it has segued into magazine articles as well as into audiobooks, television programs, and talk of building a "Horrible History" theme park.
Beyond being a children's-book author, Deary is also a performer and he has also worked as a theatre director, a museum manager, and a teacher. "I have been a professional actor for over thirty years and am far more comfortable performing than writing" noted Deary in an interview for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Web site. Deary often lends his voice to audiobook versions of his "Horrible Histories" books, and he once performed a one-man family show throughout Great Britain that featured gruesome events from history. The frankness and educational aspects of Deary's books have resonated with children and adults alike; in fact, "it is now impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about the Horrible Histories" as Lyn Gardner wrote in the London Guardian. In regards to the series' success, the author remarked in his BBC online interview, "I am a children's author not a historian … I never preach or teach—I simply share my enthusiasm."
In addition to the phenomenal "Horrible Histories" books, Deary writes children's fiction that sport titles guaranteed to attract readers hoping to be both entertained and scared. Some of Deary's fiction titles include Don't Dig up Your Granny When She's Dead: Four Stories, Twist of the Knife, and The Treasure of Skull Island.
Deary first began writing plays and novels for children while working as a teacher in England. He found books that caught the interest of his students hard to come by: as he once told SATA, "many stories fulfilled some of my criteria but few fulfilled all. As a teacher, I wanted a
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story with pace and humor written in accessible language. But I also wanted sufficient depth of characterization for readers to care about what happened to the protagonist; I wanted to see the conflicts resolved through the exercise of resourcefulness, not through the exercise of violence." To make up for the lack of suitable books, Deary began writing his own, and was fortunate that publishers agreed with his perspective; he has since gone on to author scores of books for younger readers.
One of Deary's most popular fictional works is A Witch in Time, which draws readers back to the fifteenth century, when especially clever young women found themselves under constant threat of being accused of witchcraft. In the story, Eleanor Nash, a girl persecuted as a witch, time travels ahead and meets a twentieth-century teen named Sharon who faces similar problems of being disliked by her peers. While noting that the book's plot—which finds both girls resolving their problems with the use of black magic—might not garner parental approval, a Books for Your Children reviewer added that young people will "will enjoy" the book if "given the chance."
Other fictional works for young readers include The Lambton Worm, The Joke Factory, and Shadow Play. In The Lambton Worm, which is based on an English folktale, an evil insect awaits the first misstep of a member of the wealthy Lambton family; when fifteen-year-old John Lambton sneaks out of the castle one night to go fishing and hooks the creature, he unleashes a being that threatens to destroy the world. A Junior Bookshelf reviewer called The Lambton Worm a "funny, facetious, felicitous fantasy" that "will stand retelling." The Joke Factory mixes a genie, a magic ring, and a man who just cannot stop telling jokes into a story that School Librarian contributor Joyce Banks noted contains "elements of suspense and spookiness" mixed in with jokes that appeal to elementary-aged children. In Shadow Play, a murder mystery, Deary introduces actor Graham Gooden, who finds himself suddenly mixing with an odd lot of people when he takes an acting job at a new theatre. While noting that the plot of the novel takes a few too many twists and turns, School Librarian commentator Doris Telford added that "the pace never flags and there is an exciting climax."
Deary enters the world of science fiction with Vanished!, originally published as The Philadelphia Experiment and released as the first book of the four-part "Classified" series. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that Vanished! is a "compellingly designed volume … [that] is likely to be devoured by young X-Files fans." The heroine of the work is Alice Henreid, a math genius and computer hacker who is recruited by secret agents to join the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Vanished! also includes an array of graphics that imitates the classified files of the DIA, including newspaper clippings and suspect bios. The title also educates readers in the realms of science in a clear-cut manner, explaining such concepts as, Einstein's Unified Field Theory and magnetism. Other volumes in the "Classified" series include Alien Landing, Nuclear Winter Man, and Roswell.
In the middle-grade novel The Fire Thief Deary recounts the mythical story of Prometheus in his typical satirical fashion. After being punished for stealing fire from the gods, Prometheus is given one more task by Zeus before being allowed his freedom. Zeus bestows onto Prometheus the final task of finding a human hero who is comparable to the gods. Prometheus decides to time-travel two million years into the future to find his human hero and he lands in the year 1858. Upon his arrival, Prometheus meets a pair of thieves, Uncle Edward and Jim, whom he joins in their conning. The trio travels to affluent neighborhoods, hoodwinking their way into homes and then stealing from their hosts. The first volume in a trilogy that also includes Flight of the Fire Thief, The Fire Thief switches back and forth between settings, often moving from the nineteenth century to ancient Greece, and also intermixes a number of author asides. Marilyn Taniguchi, writing in School Li-brary Journal, noted that the "footnoted asides … are often funny, but … slow the pace and add to an already complicated plot." Likewise, a Kirkus Reviews writer commented that The Fire Thief is "is likely to leave readers … confused."
Among Deary's many works of nonfiction are True Ghost Stories, part of a series that includes True Crime Stories and True Horror Stories. Each collection, to which Deary adds supplemental material on facts, definitions, and other explanations, contains tales with their bases in well-known factual accounts as well as commonly held legend. Among the stories included in the volumes, readers learn about the legend of the Flying Dutchman, the sinking of the Titanic, and the story of convicted ax-murderer Lizzie Borden. Of True Ghost Stories, which like many in the series has been rereleased under a revised title in the "Terry Deary's Terribly True …" sequence, Pam Harwood opined in Books for Keeps that the nine stories included in the volume are "perfect for reading on dark winter nights."
"The printed word is revered more highly than the truth," Deary once told SATA. "A reader will accept almost anything simply because it is printed in black and white. That is sad, but it is sadder when the writer himself begins to believe his own infallibility. The first lesson a writer must learn is the lesson of humility—he must remember the force his words will carry once they appear in print and the responsibility that this entails.
"Those who have the talent for writing must exercise that skill with self-awareness and self-criticism, constantly reappraising their work for signs of pretentiousness. Writers and readers must remember that a book is not an article of paper, ink, and leather that stands on a bookshelf gathering dust—a book is only a book at the moment it is being read, at the moment the writer and his reader are actually communicating.
"I enjoy talking to school and community groups about writing but find it difficult to explain how to write. To me writing is automatic—I just sit at a typewriter and do it. At the end of the day I scarcely recognize the words on the typescript as my own. The urge to create is so strong that I would probably go on writing even if I'd never succeeded in being published. The next book bubbling in my head will always be more important to me than my last book sitting there on the shelf."
Deary, who works at his writing six days per week, has more recently moved into writing for television and film, and has created a highly regarded Web page for fans that, in addition to book lists, background information, games, and his "Deary Diary," was scheduled to publish several of his out-of-print books. On his home page, Deary gave his view of a busy writer's life. "Being an author is very, very hard work," he noted. "If you are a failure then you worry about making enough money to buy food or clothes or keep yourself warm! If you are a success then you spend so much time writing you don't have time to enjoy life very much. I have only had 2 weeks holiday in the last 30 years. On the other hand I don't have any awful boss telling me what to do!"
Biographical and Critical Sources
PERIODICALS
Books for Keeps, January, 1996, Pam Harwood, review of True Ghost Stories, p. 11; March, 1988, p. 19.
Books for Your Children, autumn-winter, 1986, review of Witch in Time, p. 12.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2005, review of The Fire Thief, p. 912.
Junior Bookshelf, April, 1982, review of The Lambton Worm, p. 65; April, 1986, p. 66; October, 1992, p. 215.
Kliatt, March, 1997, p. 16.
Publishers Weekly, November 15, 2004, review of Classified: Vanished!, p. 60.
School Librarian, February, 1992, Joyce Banks, review of The Joke Factory, p. 22; May, 1996, p. 77.
School Library Journal, November, 1992, Doris Telford, review of Shadow Play, p. 157; January, 2006, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of The Fire Thief, p. 130.
ONLINE
British Broadcasting Corporation Web site, http://www.bbcworldwide.com/ (May 4, 2006), "Terry Deary, Author of Horrible Histories."
Guardian Online, http://www.books.guardian.co.uk/ (March 19, 2003), Lyn Gardner, "Horribly Good"; (May 10, 2003) Dina Rabinovitch, "Author of the Month: Terry Deary."
Terry Deary Home Page, http://www.terry-deary.net (May 4, 2006).