As a child Keith Gray found reading a chore, and credits Robert Westall's 'The Machine Gunners' with awakening his love of reading and, later, writing. His debut, 'Creepers', was published when he was only 24 and was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize. Since then his books have either won or been shortlisted for awards all over the world. In the UK his bestselling novel 'Ostrich Boys' was shortlisted for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal and the Costa Children's Book Award.