Shannon Burke (born September 11, 1966) is an American novelist and screenwriter.

Biography

Burke was born in Wilmette, Illinois and studied at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. After graduating he became a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department. Burke used these experiences in his novels Safelight (2004) and Black Flies (2008).^[1][2] Burke has published four novels: Safelight (2004), Black Flies (2008), Into the Savage Country (2015), and The Brother Years (2020) . He also has been involved in various film and television projects, including work on the script for the film Syriana (2005),^[3][4] and he is the co-creator and executive producer of the Netflix series Outer Banks.^[5]

Burke lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his two sons.^[6][7][8]

Novels

• Safelight (2004) Random House, ISBN 978-0812971743
• Black Flies (2008) Soft Skull Press, ISBN 978-1593761912
• Into the Savage Country (2015) Pantheon, ISBN 978-0307908926
• The Brother Years (2020) Pantheon, ISBN 1524748641

Critical reception

• Safelight, Burke's debut novel, is a love story involving a fencer with HIV and a paramedic who interacts with the world through photographs of his patients. Burke stated that he believed the novel was about “personal redemption.”^[1] The book was well received,^[9] with the New York Times' Julia Livshin calling the novel “a minimalist tour de force.”^[10] Daniel Menaker, ex-editor and chief of Random House, called Safelight one of "the most under-rated novels I've edited."^[11]
• Burke's second novel, Black Flies is about the trials and moral weathering of a paramedic. Burke himself was a paramedic in New York and used his experiences from that job for the novel.^[12] The book was noted for its realistic depiction of paramedics.^[13][14] In the New York Times, Liesl Schillinger called the novel “searing and morally resonant."^[12] Black Flies was a New York Times Notable book,^[15] was on the short list for numerous prizes,^[16][17][18] and won France's Prix de Mystere de la critique.^[19]
• Into the Savage Country, Burke's third novel, a historical adventure, was a departure in setting and tone from his previous two novels. In a post publication interview, Burke said he wanted to write an adventure novel like "Kidnapped" or "White Fang."^[20] The novel was memorable for its historical depiction of trappers in the 1820s^[21] and was generally well-received. It was a finalist for the Reading the West Book Award.^[22]
• The Brother Years is a coming of age novel, a roman a clef, based on Burke's childhood in suburban Chicago. It was published in August 2020.

Awards

• 2008 – Believer Book Award – Finalist for Black Flies^[16]
• 2010 – International Dublin Literary Award – Longlist for Black Flies^[23]
• 2015 – Grand Prix de Littérature Policière – Runner Up for Black Flies^[17]
• 2015 – Prix Mystère de la critique – Winner for Black Flies^[19]
• 2015 – Reading the West Book Award – Shortlist for Into the Savage Country^[22]
• 2017 - Prix SNCF du Polar - Shortlist for "Black Flies"^[18]