Morris Gleitzman

Gleitzman was born in Lincolnshire, England, but moved to Australia at the age of 16 where he worked as a paperboy, a fashion designer assistant, and shelf-stacker before earning a degree in Writing from Canberra College. Following his graduation, he began his career as a screenwriter, contributing to the success of  the award-winning Norman Gunston Show, among others. After a decade in television, Gleitzman pivoted to writing screenplays for movies and plays before venturing into the world of children’s literature. His debut novel, The Other Facts of Life (1987), was originally written as a screenplay, and many of his subsequent books, like Two Weeks with the Queen, Blabber Mouth, and Misery Guts, have since been adapted for the stage. One of his most popular books, Bumface (1988), is an international bestseller and continues to be one of Australia’s favorite children’s books, winning numerous awards. As a writer, he is known for his offbeat, humorous approach to serious subjects, such as his treatment of the Afghanistan refugee crisis in Boy Overboard (2002) and the AIDS crisis in Two Weeks with the Queen (1998). Morris published his most recent book, Always, in 2021, a sequel to his multi-part series, One, Now, Then, and After. Gleitzman’s was selected as the 2018-2019 Australian Children’s Laureate, and he has authored more than 40 children’s books to date. Beyond his literary pursuits, he is a frequent columnist in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age and lives with his long-time partner, Mary-Anne Fahey, with whom he shares two stepchildren.