Peter Carey was born in 1943 in Australia and lives in New York. He is the author of the highly acclaimed short story collection, The Fat Man in History, seven novels, Bliss, Illywhacker (shortlisted for the 1985 Booker Prize), Oscar and Lucinda (winner of the 1988 Booker Prize), The Tax Inspector, The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith, Jack Maggs (winner of the 1998 Commonwealth Writers Prize) and True History of the Kelly Gang (winner of the 2001 Booker Prize), and for children, The Big Bazoohley.