Markus Zusak:
- Born June 23, 1975 in Sydney, Australia
- His father was an Austrian house painter and his mother grew up in Germany during World War II
- His most famous works are The Book Thief and I am the Messenger (he has written 6 books, the latest of which is due out in September of this year)
- He credits his inspiration for writing The Book Thief from the stories his mother would tell him about life under the Nazi regime, including the bombing of Munich and the marching of Jews through her home town.
