Tomorrow When the War Began novelist John Marsden dies aged 74
Acclaimed Australian author John Marsden has died. He was aged 74.
Most famous for his Tomorrow When the War Began series, Marsden wrote more than 40 books.
The seven book Tomorrow series, which detailed a fictional invasion of Australia centred around a group of teenagers in the country and sold millions of copies, was essential reading for Aussie teens in the 1990s.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Marsden won several awards during his distinguished career and was the recipient of the Lloyd O’Neil Award for contributions to Australian publishing in 2006.
The Tomorrow series was not only a hit in Austrlia but captivated the imagination of teens across the world, including in the United States, where it made it on the American Library Association’s best books for young adults list. His works were translated in 11 languages.
Tomorrow When The War Began was made into movie in 2010 and a TV series in 2016.
“The characters have plenty of weaknesses … but I wanted teenagers to realise that doesn’t mean you have no strengths,” he told the ABC in 2018.
He made millions of dollars from his book sales but generously gave back, founding the Candlebark and Alice Miller schools in regional Victoria where he was principal.
“Running a school is probably the most intense and complicated job I’ve had in my life. The only thing I can compare it to is when I worked in the emergency department at Sydney Hospital when I was about 19,” he also told the ABC in 2018.
Marsden grew up in country Victoria and then moved to Devonport,Tasmania, before heading north to Sydney where he went to the prestigious The King’s School, Parramatta and Sydney University.
He failed to finish his law and arts degrees and started writing while working a Geelong Grammar, where he worked as teacher, to get teenagers to overcome their apathy of reading.
His first novel, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987, was an instant hit, winning the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s book of the year award.
At the peak of his powers three of his books were voted into Australia’s 100 most-loved books of all time in 1997 and in 2015 his book The Rabbits was made into an opera.
