John Marsden is an Australian writer, teacher and school principal. Marsden has had his books translated into eleven languages including Norwegian, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Italian, Polish, and Spanish.

Marsden was born in Victoria, Australia, and spent his early life in Kyneton, Victoria, Devonport, Tasmania, and Sydney. At age 28, after working several jobs, Marsden began a teaching course. Whilst working as a teacher, Marsden began writing for children, and had his first book, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987. Since then, he has written or edited over 40 books and has sold over 5 million books throughout the world.