Born in Virginia and raised in Hawaii and the state of Washington, Patrick Ness is the author of seven novels and a short story collection.  He has won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Costa Children's Book Award.  In 2012 his bestselling novel A Monster Calls became the first ever to win both the Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medals.  His books are published in over twenty languages.  He lives in London.