Journalism of Courage
‘Worst may be yet to come’: Game of Thrones author George R R Martin reveals battle with depression
Martin opens up on depression and loss as Knight of Seven Kingdoms scores Emmy nods
Game of Thrones author George R R Martin. (Wikimedia Commons)
Game of Thrones author George R R Martin has spoken publicly about his struggles with depression and grief, as he returned to personal blogging for the first time in nearly six months.
The 77-year-old writer said he had “battled sadness and depression” over the past year, adding “the worst may be yet to come”.
His comments came in a blog post in which he also confirmed his HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a prequel to the Game of Thrones, had received nine Emmy nominations.
Martin, who has previously spoken about the pressures of completing his long-awaited novel The Winds of Winter, said he had lost friends and found the ageing process difficult, including Best Drama.
“This year has been… stressful, to the least,” said the author, whose fantasy series has sold millions of copies worldwide and been adapted into one of television’s most successful dramas. “So much has been happening, it’s been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things. Dreams coming true. But there have been nightmares too.”
“I suppose that’s just life,” he wrote. “Of course, I knew that. If you’ve read my stories, you know that.”
“I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun,” the author added. “But there have been amazing times as well.”
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A still from HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms based on George R R Martin’s writing. (Photo: IMDb)
In the post, titled “Better Late Than Never”, he acknowledged he had fallen “further and further behind” in his correspondence, despite having a team to support him. The author’s last personal post on his blog was on February 19, with subsequent updates handled by his assistants.
The Emmy awards ceremony is due to take place at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on September 14, the author said he hoped to attend, but cautioned that his appearance “depends on… well, on a lot of things”.
He expressed pride in the production team, but admitted to disappointment that the series had not received acting nominations. “I was hoping we’d get a few of the acting nominations as well,” he wrote. “But there’s always next year.”
Martin maintains his blog as his only official channel for personal communication.
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