Award-winning author Garth Nix took the fantasy world by storm with the publication of his second young adult novel, Sabriel, in 1996. A native of Australia, Nix was born in Melbourne in 1963 and eventually settled in Sydney. He put his bachelor's degree in professional writing from the University of Canberra to good use, working as a sales representative, publicist, and senior editor in the publishing field. He also worked in a bookstore, served four years in the Australian Army Reserve, and established a marketing agency. Nix has focused solely on his writing since 1998. His background in the Australian Army Reserve adds a dose of realism to the border scenes and fighting in Sabriel.

According to Nix, his hobbies include "fishing, bodysurfing, collecting books of all kinds, reading, films, writing and lunch."

In the "How I Write" section of his website, Nix says his ideas "stem...