James Phelan is the Melbourne-based author of 32 books for adults, YA and MG, which have sold over 5 million copies around the world. His work includes thrillers such as THE SPY (Hachette), the ALONE (Lothian) Young Adult post-apocalyptic trilogy, THE LAST THIRTEEN (Scholastic) Middle Grade adventure series, short stories, and non-fiction. He is noted for creating engaging stories driven by a suspenseful writing style. As a kid James was drawn to adventure stories, and as a teenager he developed a love for contemporary thrillers, of being entertained and informed along the way. James developed the idea of his first novel while still in high school, and after studying Architecture at RMIT and working on the Federation Square design team, he followed his dream of becoming an author. James was a full-time staff writer at The Age newspaper while studying a Master of Arts in Writing, and a PhD in YA Literature. His first book was Literati: Australian Contemporary Literary Figures Discuss Fear, Frustrations and Fame (John Wiley). James is an entertaining and engaging speaker who regularly talks at literary events, festivals, schools and universities around the world. He has been a full-time novelist since the age of 26, and his novels have won numerous awards, including the YABBA, KOALA, COOL, CROC, YALSA and ABIA. He has run the John Marsden Prize, the Queensland Writers Centre Year of the Novel, is a Peer Assessor for Creative Australia, and an ambassador for the Australian Young Artists and Writers Program.