Biography

Matt Ottley has been writing and illustrating stories for many years. Most of his books have been works of fiction for children and young adults, and most of those have been picture books, although he has illustrated many works of non fiction as well.

Requiem for a Beast was his first major work for adults as well as young adults. It won the 2008 Children's Book Council of Australia Award inthe Older Readers category. [ed: Mr. Ottley also composed a stunning soundttrack that is a part of this fine book]

There is currently another work for adults and young adults in the pipeline, as yet untitled.

Hollania, a picture book collaboration with the writer John Marsden is due for release in 2008. Following that will be a collaboration with Gary Crew, called The Serpent's Tale.

Matt Ottley was born in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, where he spent the first eleven and a half years of his life. After almost failing high school in Sydney, he lived the itinerate life of a stockman for some years on cattle stations in Queensland, before returning to Sydney to study fine arts and music. He then lived in the UK for three years, working as an equestrian artist, painting some of Britains leading polo ponies and thoroughbreds. He is now one of Australia’s most popular children’s author/illustrators, and has been published in several different languages around the world. He also works as a composer and as a flamenco guitarist.

Some things Matt loves are: Mangoes, woodworking, snakes and fruit bats. For many years now Matt has worked as a volunteer wildlife rescuer, specialising in snakes and bats.