Maurice Gee is one of New Zealand's best-known writers, for both adults and children. He has won a number of literary awards, including the Wattie Award (twice), the Montana Award, and the New Zealand Fiction Award (four times). He has also won the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year Award. Maurice Gee's novels include the three books in the Plumb trilogy, Going West (winner of the Wattie award), Prowlers, Live Bodies (winner of the Montana Award) and Ellie and the Shadow Man. He has also written a number of children's novels, the most recent being The Fat Man, Orchard Street and Hostel Girl. Maurice lives in Wellington with his wife Margareta and they have three children.