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Christopher Paolini

The young author of two best sellers, Eragon and Eldest. This month, he answered your questions!

Ask This Month's Celebrity: Christopher Paolini

At 15, Christopher Paolini began writing Eragon, a fantasy story about a boy and a dragon in a war-torn world called Alagaesia. With the help of his family, Paolini self-published the book in 2002, but in 2003 it was picked up and published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. The book became a best seller. To date, Eragon, and Eldest—Paolini's second book, published in 2005—have sold more than 8 million copies in 41 countries. This month, Eragon, a 20th Century Fox film based on Paolini's book, opens in theaters nationwide.

Fast Facts about Christopher Paolini:

Christopher Paolini was born on Nov. 17, 1983 in southern California.
He grew up in Paradise Valley, Montana. The snowcapped, jagged Beartooth Mountains were the inspiration for the landscape of Alagaesia, the fantasy world he created in Eragon.
Paolini was homeschooled and was able to complete the work required for a high school diploma early.
Paolini listens to classical music when he writes. He frequently listens to works by Mahler, Beethoven, and Wagner. He wrote the battle scene in Eragon while listening to "Carmina Burana," by Carl Orff.
He is an avid reader. Some of Paolini's favorite books include Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher and Dragon Hatcher; Frank Herbert's Dune; Raymond E. Feist's Magician; and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
To promote his first book, Eragon, which was self-published in 2002, Paolini gave 135 presentations in libraries, schools, and bookstores. He gave most of the presentations dressed in a medieval costume: a red shirt, billowy black pants, lace-up boots, and a black cap.
In 2005, Eldest, the second book in Paolini's Inheritance trilogy was published, achieving the biggest single-week sale in Random House Children's Books history. In 2006, the book won the Quill Award.
Paolini lives in Montana with his parents and younger sister Angela; Otis, a black and white cat; and Annie, a cocker spaniel/Australian shepherd mix.