Who is Markus Zusak?
Markus Zusak is an Australian author from Sydney, born in 1975, best known for The Book Thief, a 2005 novel narrated by Death and set in Nazi Germany, which has sold millions of copies worldwide.
Zusak is the son of an Austrian father and a German mother who migrated to Australia. Their stories of growing up in Europe during the Second World War inspired The Book Thief.
The novel follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl living with foster parents near Munich, who steals books and shares them with others, including a Jewish man hiding in the family's basement.
Success and film
The Book Thief spent years on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into dozens of languages. A film adaptation was released in 2013, starring Geoffrey Rush and Sophie Nelisse.
Zusak's earlier novels for young adults include The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe and I Am the Messenger, which won the Children's Book Council of Australia award for older readers.
His long-awaited novel Bridge of Clay, about five brothers in Sydney, was published in 2018 after more than a decade of work.
Did You Know?
The Book Thief is one of the most widely read Australian novels in the world.