Markus Zusak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Markus Zusak
Zusak in 2019
Born	Markus Frank Zusak (1975-06-23) 23 June 1975 (age 50) Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Writer
Education	Engadine High School
Alma mater	University of New South Wales
Period	1999–present day
Notable awards	Margaret A. Edwards Award 2014
Spouse	Mika Zusak
Children	3 children

Markus Zusak (born June 23, 1975) is a famous writer from Australia and Germany. He is most well-known for his books The Book Thief and The Messenger. These books became very popular all around the world. He also won a special award called the Margaret Edwards Award in 2014.

Markus Zusak's Early Life

Markus Zusak was born in Sydney, Australia. His mother, Lisa Zusak, came from Germany. His father, Helmut Zusak, was Austrian. Both of his parents moved to Australia in the late 1950s.

Markus is the youngest of four children. He has two sisters and one brother. He went to Engadine High School. Later, he even taught English there for a short time while he was writing his books. He studied English and history at the University of New South Wales. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching diploma.

Markus Zusak's Writing Career

Markus Zusak has written seven books. His first three books were The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and When Dogs Cry. These books were released between 1999 and 2001. They were all published in many countries around the world.

The Messenger

The Messenger was published in 2002. In the United States, it was called I Am the Messenger. This book won several awards:

• The 2003 CBC Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.
• The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature.

It was also a runner-up for the Michael L. Printz Award.

In 2023, a TV series based on The Messenger started on ABC in Australia.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief was published in 2005. It has been translated into more than 40 languages. This means people all over the world can read it. In 2013, The Book Thief was made into a movie.

In 2014, Markus Zusak gave a talk at TEDxSydney. He spoke at the famous Sydney Opera House. His talk was called "The Failurist." He shared how he wrote The Book Thief and how he kept trying until he succeeded.

Later Books

In March 2016, Zusak talked about his book Bridge of Clay. He said it was almost finished. He also mentioned that he had changed a lot since he started writing it. Bridge of Clay was finally released in October 2018.

Markus Zusak has said his next book would be like a memoir. A memoir is a true story about someone's life. It would not be a made-up story. In 2024, he published this book, called Three Wild Dogs (and the truth).

Awards and Recognition

Markus Zusak has received many awards for his writing.

• In 2006, he won The Sydney Morning Herald's Young Australian Novelist of the Year Award.
• In 2014, he won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association (ALA). This award honors an author whose books have made a big and lasting impact on young adult readers.

His book Bridge of Clay was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection. This means it was picked as a great book for young readers.

In 2005, two important groups, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and Publishers Weekly, named I Am the Messenger (The Messenger) one of the best children's books of the year.

List of Awards

See also

In Spanish: Markus Zusak para niños