John Marsden (writer) facts for kids

John Marsden (born 27 September 1950 – died December 2024) was a famous Australian writer and a principal of special schools. He wrote over 40 books during his career. Many of his books have been translated into different languages. He is best known for his exciting young adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began. This book was the start of a popular series of seven books.

John Marsden began writing for young people while he was a teacher. His first book, So Much to Tell You, was published in 1987. Later, in 2006, he started an alternative school called Candlebark School. He then wrote less to focus on teaching and running the school. In 2016, he opened another school, Alice Miller School, which focuses on arts. Both of his schools are located in the Macedon Ranges area of Australia.

John Marsden's Early Life

John Marsden was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 27 September 1950. He grew up with three brothers and sisters. For the first 10 years of his life, he lived in country towns like Kyneton, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania. He was also a very distant relative of a famous early Australian clergyman, Rev. Samuel Marsden.

When John was 10, his family moved to Sydney. He went to The King's School, Parramatta. He started studying law and arts at Sydney University but decided to leave. Before becoming a writer, he had many different jobs. He worked at a meat processing plant, helped at a funeral home, delivered pizzas, and even sold encyclopedias!

Becoming a Writer

Starting His Writing Journey

John Marsden decided to write for teenagers while he was an English teacher at Geelong Grammar School's Timbertop campus. He noticed that his students weren't very interested in reading. He felt that teenagers simply weren't reading books anymore. This made him want to write stories that young people would enjoy.

He wrote his first book, So Much to Tell You, in just three weeks! It was published in 1987 and became a huge success. The book sold record numbers and won many awards. One of the biggest was "Book of the Year" from the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA).

In the five years after his first book, John Marsden published six more. Some of these popular books included Out of Time and Letters From the Inside. Letters From the Inside was even praised by famous American authors and magazines.

The Famous Tomorrow Series

In 1993, John Marsden published Tomorrow, When the War Began. This book was the first in the famous Tomorrow series. It became his most well-known and best-selling work. He originally planned for the series to be only three books. However, it became so popular that he wrote seven books in the Tomorrow series! He also wrote a follow-up series of three books called The Ellie Chronicles.

While writing the Tomorrow series, John Marsden also wrote many other types of books. He wrote novels like Checkers, and edited collections of stories. He also created children's picture books, such as The Rabbits, and wrote poetry. He even wrote non-fiction books, like Everything I Know About Writing. In total, he wrote more than 40 books!

Awards and Recognition

John Marsden was incredibly popular in Australia. In 1996, his books held the top six spots on the best-seller lists for teenage fiction in Australia. The Australian newspaper even called him "Australia's most popular author today." In 1997, Australian readers voted three of his books among their 100 most-loved books of all time. His books have been translated into many languages around the world.

He won almost every major writing award in Australia for young people's fiction. One of his proudest moments was winning the 2006 Lloyd O'Neil Award. This award is given for a lifetime of contributions to Australian publishing. He was one of only five authors to receive this special honor.

Internationally, his books were named among the Best Books of the Year by the American Library Association. He was also a runner-up for the Dutch Children's Book of the Year. He won the Grand Jury Prize as Austria's Most Popular Writer for Teenagers and the respected Buxtehude Bull award in Germany. In 2008, he was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This is the world's largest award for children's and youth literature.

In 2015, an opera based on his picture book The Rabbits was created by Opera Australia. It won several awards. In 2018, John Marsden received the Dromkeen Medal. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in children's and young adult literature.

John Marsden's Schools

In 2006, John Marsden started Candlebark School in the Macedon Ranges. This was an alternative school for students from kindergarten to Year 12. He spent less time writing to focus on teaching and leading the school. In 2016, he opened a second school, Alice Miller School. This school also in the Macedon Ranges, focuses on arts for secondary students.

Personal Life and Legacy

John Marsden was married to Kristin and had six stepsons. He passed away in December 2024 at the age of 74. The Alice Miller School shared that he died while writing at his desk at home.

John Marsden was a supporter of Express Media, an organization that helps young artists. Since 2005, they have given out the annual John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers. This prize helps new young writers follow in his footsteps.

Published Books

The Tomorrow Series

• Tomorrow, When the War Began (1993)
• The Dead of Night (1994)
• The Third Day, The Frost (1995) (also known as A Killing Frost)
• Darkness, Be My Friend (1996)
• Burning for Revenge (1997)
• The Night is for Hunting (1998)
• The Other Side of Dawn (1999)

The Ellie Chronicles (a follow-up series)

• While I Live (2003)
• Incurable (2005)
• Circle of Flight (2006)

Other Books by John Marsden

• So Much to Tell You (1987)
• The Journey (1988)
• The Great Gatenby (1989)
• Staying Alive in Year 5 (1990)
• Out of Time (1990)
• Letters from the Inside (1991)
• Take My Word for It (1992)
• Looking for Trouble (1993)
• Everything I Know About Writing (1993)
• Cool School (1996)
• Creep Street (1996)
• Checkers (1996)
• This I Believe (1996) (editor)
• For Weddings and a Funeral (1996) (editor)
• Dear Miffy (1997)
• Prayer for the Twenty-First Century (1997)
• Norton's Hut (1998)
• The Rabbits (1998)
• Secret Men's Business (1998)
• Winter (2000)
• Marsden on Marsden (2000)
• The Head Book (2001)
• Millie (2002)
• The Magic Rainforest (2002)
• A Day in the Life of Me (2002)
• The Boy You Brought Home (2002)
• A Roomful of Magic (2004)
• I Believe This (2004) (editor)
• Hamlet: A Novel (2008)
• Home and Away (2008)
• South of Darkness (2014)
• The Art of Growing Up (2019)
• Take Risks (2021)