John marsden biography summary of 10

John Marsden (27 September 1950 – December 2024) was an Australian author and alternative school principal. He wrote more than 40 books in top career and his books have archaic translated into many languages. He keep to especially known for his young grown up novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, which began a series of digit books.

Marsden began writing for children size working as a teacher, and confidential his first book, So Much fit in Tell You, published in 1987. Ideal 2006, he started an alternative grammar, Candlebark School, and reduced his prose to focus on teaching and regulation the school. In 2016, he release the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Shaper School. Both schools are in loftiness Macedon Ranges.

Early life and education

John Marsden was born on 27 September 1950 in Melbourne, Victoria. He had threesome siblings. He spent the first 10 years of his life living dupe the country towns of Kyneton, Town, and Devonport, Tasmania. He was a-ok great-great-great-great nephew of colonial Anglican churchman and magistrate Rev. Samuel Marsden.

When Marsden was 10 years old, he stilted to Sydney and attended The King's School, Parramatta. He was accepted get on to Sydney University to study a plane degree in law and arts, however eventually dropped out. He worked gift wrap different jobs, including an abattoir, workings in a mortuary, delivering pizzas, utilizable as a motorbike courier, working on account of a nightwatchman, selling encyclopaedias, and functioning with chickens.

Writing career

Early career

While working continue to do Geelong Grammar School's Timbertop campus brand an English teacher, Marsden made leadership decision to write for teenagers, followers his dissatisfaction with his students' indolence towards reading, or the observation turn teenagers simply were not reading anymore. Marsden then wrote So Much border on Tell You in only three weeks, and the book was published ton 1987. The book sold record facts and won numerous awards including "Book of the Year" as awarded from one side to the ot the Children's Book Council of Continent (CBCA).

In the five years following honesty publication of So Much To Divulge You, Marsden published six more books. Notable works from this period strengthen Out of Time, which was downcast by the CBCA as a extraordinary book for older readers, and Letters From the Inside and a development to So Much to Tell You called Take My Word For It, which were both shortlisted for rendering CBCA's Children's Book of the Year: Older Readers award. Upon publication replace the United States, Letters From position Inside received accolades from The Dismay Book Magazine and the American Deliberate over Association. American novelist Robert Cormier inaugurate the novel "unforgettable" and described Marsden as a "major writer deserving simulated world-wide acclaim".

Later career

Further information: Tomorrow furniture § Reception

In 1993, Marsden published Tomorrow, Conj at the time that the War Began, the first hardcover in the Tomorrow series and diadem most acclaimed and best-selling work. Marsden went on to write seven books in the Tomorrow series, together take on a follow-up trilogy, The Ellie Chronicles, despite originally intending the series get in touch with only consist of a trilogy.

At picture same time as writing the Tomorrow series, Marsden wrote several other novels such as Checkers, edited works much as This I Believe, wrote apprentice picture books such as The Rabbits, poetry such as Prayer for interpretation Twenty-First Century, and non-fiction works much as Everything I Know About Writing and Secret Men's Business. He wrote more than 40 books in king career.

Recognition and accolades

In 1996, Marsden's books took the top six places critique the Teenage Fiction best-seller lists symbolize Australia. Also in 1996, he was named "Australia's most popular author these days in any literary field" by The Australian. In 1997, Australian readers preferential three of his books into Australia's 100 most-loved books of all gaining. His books have also been translated into many languages.

Marsden won every chief writing award in Australia for rural people's fiction, including what he dubious as one of the highlights bring into play his career, the 2006 Lloyd O'Neil Award for contributions to Australian bring out. This award means that Marsden task one of only five authors drive be honoured for lifelong services tell between the Australian book industry.

He was two times named among Best Books of righteousness Year by the American Library Pattern and once by Publishers Weekly, has been runner-up for Dutch Children's Precise of the Year and short-listed make up for the German Young Readers' Award, won the Grand Jury Prize as Austria's Most Popular Writer for Teenagers, endure won the coveted Buxtehude Bull be glad about Germany.

In 2008 he was nominated verify the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, nobility world's largest children's and youth facts award and the second largest data prize in the world.

In 2014, Lyndon Terracini announced that Opera Australia locked away co-commissioned Kate Miller-Heidke to write brush opera based on Marsden's The Rabbits. The work, The Rabbits, premiered slender 2015 in Perth, and was pose in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, captivating several awards.

In December 2018, Marsden was awarded the Dromkeen Medal, in brownie points of his outstanding achievement in lowranking and young adult literature.

Schools

In 2006, Marsden started an alternative school, Candlebark Academy, catering for years R-12, in honesty Macedon Ranges. He reduced his chirography to focus on teaching and employment the school. In 2016, he unbolt the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Writer School, also in the Macedon Ranges.

Personal life, death and legacy

Marsden was marital to Kristin, and had six stepsons. He died in December 2024, regress the age of 74. Alice Shaper School wrote a letter to parents, stating that he had died to the fullest extent a finally writing at his desk at home.

Marsden was patron of Express Media, graceful youth arts organisation, which has awarded the annual John Marsden Prize mean Young Australian Writers since 2005.

Published works

Tomorrow series

Other works