‘Your mission, Morris,’ said Ron Gorman, chair of the Australian Children’s Literature Alliance, ‘if you choose to accept it, is to don the mantle of Australian Children’s Laureate for the next two years and go into bat for stories.’
I stared at him, intrigued, excited, but completely ignorant when it came to sporting metaphors.
‘By go into bat,’ I said, ‘do you mean roam the land engaging young readers in a celebration of stories and all the precious things they get from them while at the same time encouraging adults to think more deeply and perceptively about the transformative qualities of good stories for young people and if possible read a few of them aloud?’
‘Yes,’ said Ron.
I was in.

Morris Gleitzman is a bestselling Australian children’s author whose books explore serious and sometimes confronting subjects in funny and unexpected ways.

Morris wrote his first children’s novel in 1985. His moving and humourous style has endeared him to children and adults alike, and he is now one of Australia’s most successful authors, both internationally and at home.

His titles include Two Weeks With The Queen, Grace, Doubting Thomas, Bumface, Give Peas A Chance, Extra Time, Loyal Creatures, Snot Chocolateand the series Once, Then, Now, After, Soon and Maybe. Morris lives in Sydney and Brisbane, and his books are published in more than twenty countries.