Winner of Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 1997 and Carnegie Medal 1997 and LA Carnegie Medal 1997 and Guardian Children's Fiction Award 1997. Shortlisted for Whitbread Prize (Children's Book) 1997.

Melvin Burgess was born in London in 1954. He began to train as a journalist but left after six months. He has had a variety of jobs as diverse as bricklaying and silk-screen printing. An Enterprise Allowance Scheme gave him the chance to develop his writing and his books for children are very highly regarded. Melvin lives in Lancashire.