Acknowledged as breakthrough titles for the author. THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS was longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and with DARK FLIGHT DOWN has sold over 94,000 in hardback and paperback. Marcus has been published in 15 languages. Works in publishing and is known to many booksellers. 'This is an elegantly plotted, exquisitely gothic tale which confirms Sedgwick's status as one of our finest contemporary children's authors.' Joanne Owen, The Bookseller Audio edition of THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS is available.

'more Gothic swirling darkness seeping into finely plotted and paced, utterly compelling storytelling... the sort of book that requires new torch batteries for reading on after the light is out.' THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

Marcus Sedgwick has worked in children's publishing for ten years and before that he was a bookseller. He is also a stone carver and wood engraver and illustrates all his novels. His first book FLOODLAND was hailed as 'a dazzling debut from a new writer of exceptional talent'. FLOODLAND won the Branford Boase Award for the best first children's novel of 2000. Marcus lives in Sussex and has a young daughter, Alice.