David Mitchell

"Books don't offer real escape but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw."

David Mitchell is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, Black Swan Green, Cloud Atlas, Number9Dream, Ghostwritten and The Bone Clocks. Twice shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Mitchell was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2007.

With KA Yoshida, Mitchell co-translated from the Japanese the international bestselling memoir, The Reason I Jump.

He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children

What are David Mitchell's most notable books?

Notable titles include Cloud Atlas, The Bone Clocks, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, Black Swan Green, Number9Dream, Ghostwritten, Slade House and Utopia Avenue. He also co-translated the international bestselling memoir The Reason I Jump.

What kind of fiction does David Mitchell write and what is his style?

Mitchell is an award-winning, bestselling novelist whose work is literary in orientation and often experiments with form and structure. His books span a range of settings and periods and frequently employ multiple voices or linked narratives. His writing has been described as thoughtful and inventive.

Where is a good place to start reading him?

Common entry points are Cloud Atlas, The Bone Clocks, Black Swan Green or Utopia Avenue. These titles are frequently recommended and appear among his most popular works, so pick one that matches your interest in multi-part narratives, contemporary fiction or shorter novels.

Are David Mitchell's novels part of a series or do they read as standalones?

Most of his novels are standalones. While some of his books may contain recurring motifs or occasional character crossovers, readers can normally start with any single novel without needing prior reading.

What awards and recognition has he received?

He is described as award-winning and bestselling, was shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize, and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.