I was sixteen
when I decided that this was what I wanted to do, and that nothing was going to stop me…I’d suddenly become aware of the mechanics of words: how black ink on white pages could take me somewhere else – but in colour.
And nothing would ever be the same.
Of course, my beginnings were abject failure. My first book (all eight pages of it) could have been entered into a competition for the worst book ever written. My second attempt wasn’t much better, but I made it to the end. It proved I could go the distance to write a novel – just not a very good one.
Now I’ve been a writer for thirty-three years. I’m still figuring out how to do it as I change, and the work changes – but here, at the very least, I can chart how I’ve done it before.
WRITING
workroom
How I chip away at what I’m looking for – where a book starts to feel like what I’m seeing inside my head.
books
To be honest, quite a bit of mud has been thrown at the wall these last three decades, but only a small amount has stuck.
special features
Everything that informs the work – books, photos, places, video. You never know what will spark a sentence, an idea, a novel.
bio as per the most recent book, Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)
Markus Zusak is the author of six novels, including The Messenger, Bridge of Clay and The Book Thief – an international and New York Times bestseller across the last two decades. His work is translated into more than fifty languages and has been awarded numerous honours around the world, ranging from literary prizes to bookseller and readers choice awards. His books have also been adapted into film, television and theatre. He was born in Sydney, and still lives there with his wife, two children and the last dog standing in a once thriving household of animals. Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) is his first book of non-fiction.
BIO
