Bio

For the young, impressively prolific author Chris Wooding, writing has always been of interest. Wooding was born in 1977 in Leicester, an ex-mining town in England. To escape from a relatively monotonous environment during his youth, he became an avid reader of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories by such authors as C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card. His familiarity with these genres has helped shape his own style and preference for writing.

Wooding began writing at the age of 16, and his first novel Crashing was published when he was 19. He spent his next few years writing extensively while studying English Literature at the University of Sheffield. His works from this period include a wide range of styles from fantasy to political works to teenage stories.

The 27-year-old author has now completed 17 books and many short stories. In 2004, Scholastic published his critically acclaimed novel, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, a horror story set in Victorian England and originally published in England. Wooding received several awards for this novel including the Silver Award and was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal. In addition, Wooding is developing a script for the screen adaptation of The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray.

In his free time, Wooding likes to participate in backpacking, touring with his band, and listening to ska music. He has traveled extensively to places such as America, Southeast Asia, and Germany. Currently, Wooding resides in London.