Morris Gleitzman

Author profile

born

January 09, 1953 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, The United Kingdom

gender

male

website

http://www.morrisgleitzman.com/

genre

Children's Books

About this author

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Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic 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. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.

Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as paperboy, bottle-shop shelf-stacker, department store Santa Claus, frozen chicken defroster, fashion-design assistant and sugar-mill employee. In between he managed to gain a degree in Professional Writing at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Later he became sole writer for three award-wi...more Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic 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. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.

Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as paperboy, bottle-shop shelf-stacker, department store Santa Claus, frozen chicken defroster, fashion-design assistant and sugar-mill employee. In between he managed to gain a degree in Professional Writing at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Later he became sole writer for three award-winning and top-rating seasons with the TV comedy series The Norman Gunston Show.

Morris wrote a number of feature film and telemovie screenplays, including The Other Facts of Life and Second Childhood, both produced by The Australian Children's Television Foundation. The Other Facts of Life won an AWGIE Award for the Best Original Children's Film Script.

He also wrote live stage material for people such as Rolf Harris, Pamela Stephenson and the Governor General of Australia. Morris is well known to many people through his semi-autobiographical columns in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald magazine, Good Weekend, which he wrote for nine years.

But the majority of Morris' accolades are for his hugely popular children's books. One of his most successful books for young people is Two Weeks with the Queen, an international bestseller which was also adapted into a play by Mary Morris. The play had many successful seasons in Australia and was then produced at the National Theatre in London in 1995 directed by Alan Ayckbourn, and also in South Africa, Canada, Japan and the USA.

All his other books have been shortlisted for or have won numerous children's book prizes. These include The Other Facts of Life, Second Childhood, Misery Guts, Worry Warts, Puppy Fat, Blabber Mouth, Sticky Beak, Belly Flop, Water Wings, Bumface, Gift Of The Gab, Toad Rage, Wicked! and Deadly!, two six-part novels written in collaboration with Paul Jennings, Adults Only, Toad Heaven, Boy Overboard, Teacher's Pet, Toad Away, Girl Underground, Worm Story, Once, Aristotle's Nostril, Doubting Thomas, Give Peas A Chance, Then, Toad Surprise, Grace, Now, Too Small To Fail, and his latest book, Pizza Cake. Morris' children's books have been published in the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia and Czechoslovakia, Russia and China.(less)

combine editions
Books by Morris Gleitzman

Average rating: 3.82 · 8,156 ratings · 1,083 reviews · 69 distinct works

	Once 4.12 avg rating — 1,713 ratings — published 2006 — 14 editions	My rating:
	Then 4.31 avg rating — 941 ratings — published 2008 — 15 editions	My rating:
	Now 4.01 avg rating — 468 ratings — published 2010 — 11 editions	My rating:
	Toad Rage (Toad, #1) 3.54 avg rating — 401 ratings — published 1999 — 11 editions	My rating:
	Two Weeks With The Queen 3.59 avg rating — 412 ratings — published 1991 — 17 editions	My rating:
	Boy Overboard 3.61 avg rating — 406 ratings — published 2002 — 9 editions	My rating:
	Toad Heaven (Toad, #2) 3.55 avg rating — 228 ratings — published 2003 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Blabber Mouth 3.43 avg rating — 253 ratings — published 1995 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Girl Underground 3.48 avg rating — 209 ratings — 3 editions	My rating:
	Misery Guts 3.32 avg rating — 190 ratings — published 1993 — 11 editions	My rating:

More books by Morris Gleitzman…

Series by Morris Gleitzman

Once Trilogy (4 books)
by Morris Gleitzman

4.17 avg rating — 3,200 ratings

Toad (4 books)
by Morris Gleitzman

3.58 avg rating — 764 ratings

Blabber Mouth (3 books)
by Morris Gleitzman

3.36 avg rating — 489 ratings

Misery Guts (3 books)
by Morris Gleitzman

3.26 avg rating — 382 ratings

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Quotes by Morris Gleitzman

“Everybody deserves to have something good in their life. At least once”
― Morris Gleitzman, Once

29 people liked it

“A little hope goes a long way.”
― Morris Gleitzman, Then

16 people liked it

“Don't sit back and wait for God to do it all. Ask for His advice, but be prepared to do the hard yards yourself.”
― Morris Gleitzman, Grace

tags: advice , god

7 people liked it

See all Morris Gleitzman's quotes »

Polls

What should we read in June?
You may add one write-in if it was pubbed between Mar 15 and May 15 of 2011.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

7 votes 35.0%

Shine by Lauren Myracle (write-in)

3 votes 15.0%

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

3 votes 15.0%

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (write-in)

2 votes 10.0%

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

1 vote 5.0%

beauty queens (write-in)

1 vote 5.0%

Divergent (write-in)

1 vote 5.0%

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

1 vote 5.0%

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

1 vote 5.0%

Flip by Martyn Bedford

0 votes 0.0%

Then by Morris Gleitzman

0 votes 0.0%

Fly Trap by Frances Hardinge

0 votes 0.0%

The Queen of Water by Maria Virginia Farinango

0 votes 0.0%

20 total votes

1 comment

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Morris Gleitzman

Author profile

combine editionsBooks by Morris Gleitzman

Series by Morris Gleitzman

Upcoming Events

Quotes by Morris Gleitzman

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

combine editions
Books by Morris Gleitzman