Markus Zusak

About

Known for his bestselling young adult novels The Messenger and The Book Thief, this Australian fiction writer earned numerous literary honors, including the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year Award.

Before Fame

After graduating from the University of New South Wales with degrees in history and English, he found a publisher for his first young adult novel, The Underdog.

Trivia

The Book Thief reached the coveted #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List and stayed on the list for over 8 years. The Book Thief has been published in over forty languages, topped the Amazon charts, and was in the top 10 across all continents.

Family Life

He and his three older siblings grew up in Sydney, Australia, as the children of an Austrian father and a German mother. He married Mika Zusak and he has two children.

Associated With

His novel The Book Thief was adapted into a 2013 feature film starring Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush.