Serena and the Sea Serpent

Garth Nix was born in Melbourne on a Saturday, and got married on a Saturday to his publisher wife, Anna. So Saturday is a good day. He used to write on a Sunday, because over the years he had a number of day jobs – as bookseller, editor, PR consultant, literary agent – that nearly always started on a Monday (and far too early). Tuesday often brings luck – like the news that Abhorsen had hit The New York Times best-seller list. When Garth was in the Australian Army Reserve, Wednesday was training night. Thursday is memorable, because that’s when his son, Tom, was born. Now that Garth is a full-time writer, Friday is less important than it used to be as the end of the working week. On any day, Garth may generally be found near Coogee Beach, in Sydney, where he and his family live.

Stephen Michael King’s hugely successful first picture book THE MAN WHO LOVED BOXES, won the Family Award for Children’s Books in 1996, and was shortlisted in the Crichton Award for Children’s Book Illustration. Stephen’s BEETLE SOUP has also been shortlisted by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Stephen works mainly with watercolours and ink. He’s also partially deaf and very handsome.