Morris Gleitzman grew up in England and came to Australia when he was 16. He was a frozen-chicken thawer, sugar-mill rolling-stock unhooker, fashion-industry trainee, student, department-store Santa, TV producer, newspaper columnist and screenwriter. Then he had a wonderful experience. He wrote a novel for young people. Now he's an award-winning, internationally bestselling children's author. He was named Favourite Australian Author 1999 in the Dymocks Booksellers Children's Choice Awards and won Best Book for Older Readers 2000 in the YABBA Awards for Toad Rage. Morris has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2010, 2011 and 2012.