Who is Morris Gleitzman?
Morris Gleitzman is an English-born Australian children's author, best known for Once and its sequels, a series about a Jewish boy named Felix who survives the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Born in England in 1953, Gleitzman moved to Australia as a teenager. He worked as a frozen chicken defroster, sugar mill worker and screenwriter before becoming a full-time author.
His early books, such as Two Weeks with the Queen, Misery Guts and Boy Overboard, are known for blending humour with serious issues. Boy Overboard and Girl Underground deal with refugees and detention.
The Once series
Once, published in 2005, is narrated by Felix, who escapes from an orphanage to find his parents. The series continues with Then, After, Soon, Maybe, Now and Always.
Gleitzman was Australian Children's Laureate in 2018 and 2019, promoting the idea that stories help children understand the world and build empathy.
With Paul Jennings, he co-wrote the popular Wicked! and Deadly! series, packed with gross-out humour and adventure. His books are widely taught in Australian schools, and he often visits classrooms to talk about writing.
Did You Know?
Gleitzman has said he researched the Holocaust for years before writing Once, and he consulted survivors.