Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
My parents are going to kill me!""That seems rather harsh. . .
Death and what came after death was no great mystery to Sabriel. She just wished it was.
Time and death sleep side by side.
For all my longer works (i. e. the novels) I write chapter outlines so I can have the pleasure of departing from them later on.
Time plays tricks between here and home," said Mogget sepulchrally, frightening the life out of the telephone operator.
The visions are fragmented and a dark cloud spreads like spilt ink across the pages of possible futures.
Fear and realisation of ignorance, strong medicines against stupid pride.
But think of how much worse it would be to sit here, not knowing. Until the Dead choke the Ratterlin and Hedge walks across the dry bed of the river to batter down the door.
The Clayr saw me, the Wallmaker made me, the King quenched me, the Abhorsen wields me so that no Dead shall walk in Life. For this is not their path.
I can see time," whispered Mogget, so softly that his words were lost.
Even now, she wished she could write a note, push it across the table, and go away to her room. But she was no longer a Second Assistant Librarian of the Great Library of the Clayr. Those days were gone, vanished with everything else that had defined her previous existence and identity.
Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?,"It always seemed somehow less real here. . . a really detailed dream, but sort of washed out, like a thin watercolor. Softer, somehow, even with their electric light and engines and everything. I guess it was because there was hardly any magic.
It was like someone far away calling someone else’s name.
Blood trickled down his chin as he was hauled up onto his knees, the golden rope securing his arms behind him and his ankles together. Arthur looked up and saw the fizzing sparkling crown coming down. I’m Arthur Penhaligon, he thought desperately. . . The crown was wedged tightly upon his head- and Arthur fell silently screaming into darkness.
VIDEO ARCHIVE-INTERVIEW 24768 . GOLD-EYEI like trees… grass… only birds in sky. People walking safe. FamilyNo Creatures. Sleep all night safe. Walk under sun in own place. Grow plants. Build. Be father with mother. Have Children. A place like Petar told me. Home. After Change goes back…I want home.
Our parts now -- which perforce we must play -- are not father and daughter, but one old Abhorsen, making way for the new. But behind this, there is always my love.
Bravery is about overcoming fear, not about not having it.
I have walked in Death to the very precipice of the Ninth Gate," Abhorsen said quietly. "I know the secrets and horrors of the Nine Precincts. I do not know what lies beyond, but everything that lives must go there, in the proper time. That is the rule that governs our work as the Abhorsen, but it also governs us. You are the fifty-third Abhorsen, Sabriel. I have not taught you as well as I should—let this be my final lesson. Everyone and everything has a time to die.
Be assured that any hurt to your spirit will pass in time. It is the nature of Death to take, but the nature of Life to give.
Clearly the Old One had the capacity to kill - or easily deliver some sort of final ending that sounded remarkably like death.
There were also very special or dangerous items that had to be fetched in person, or even by large parties of armed librarians.
