Darren Shan author page

Darren Shan biography

Darren Shan is the pen name of Darren O’Shaughnessy, an Irish author known for his work in children’s and young adult fiction. He gained international recognition with The Saga of Darren Shan, a twelve-book series published between 2000 and 2004, beginning with Cirque du Freak. The series has been translated into over thirty languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.

Shan followed this success with The Demonata, a ten-book series released from 2005 to 2010, starting with Lord Loss. He has also written the four-book Saga of Larten Crepsley (2010–2012), which serves as a prequel to The Saga of Darren Shan. In addition, Shan authored the Zom-B series, a twelve-book sequence published between 2012 and 2016.

His books have been published by HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Cirque du Freak was adapted into a feature film, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, released in 2009. Shan’s work has received several nominations and awards, including the Red House Children’s Book Award for Demon Thief in 2006.

In addition to his series, Shan has published standalone novels and short stories, including Koyasan (2006) and Lady of the Shades (2012). He continues to write under both his pen name and his real name, Darren O’Shaughnessy. His most recent series is Archibald Lox, with the first books released in 2020.

Shan’s books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.