Markus Zusak

In this episode, Markus Zusak and I talk about the writing process behind his novels Bridge of Clay, The Book Thief and The Messenger. Markus talks about how he finds the voice of his characters and how he differentiates between them, the importance of rhythm, pace, word choice and punctuation in his writing in order to bring the work to life, and how he uses foreshadowing, action and specificity in his writing.

You’ll find links to buy both paperback and ebook versions of Markus’s books here.

ABOUT MARKUS

Markus Zusak is the international bestselling author of six novels, including The Book Thief and most recently, Bridge of Clay. His work is translated into more than forty languages, and has spent more than a decade on the New York Times bestseller list, establishing Markus as one of the most successful authors to come out of Australia.

All of Markus’s books - including earlier titles, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, When Dogs Cry (also titled Getting the Girl), The Messenger (or I am the Messenger) - have been awarded numerous honours around the world, ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers.

In 2013, The Book Thief was made into a major motion picture, and in 2018 was voted one of America's all-time favourite books, achieving 14th position on the PBS Great American Read. Also in 2018, Bridge of Clay was selected as a best book of the year in publications ranging from Entertainment Weekly to the Wall Street Journal.

Markus Zusak grew up in Sydney, Australia, and still lives there with his wife and two children.

Find Markus online at his Website or on Instagram and Facebook.

Special thanks to Pamela Cook and Terri Green for your questions this week.

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StoryFest Podcast: Markus Zusak - The Books That Change Us

This podcast is recorded on the beautiful, unceded lands of the Garigal people of the Eora nation.

Full show notes available at writersbookclubpodcast.com