Graeme Base was born April 6th in Amersham, England. His family moved to Australia when he was 8.  He currently lives in Melbourne with his wife and three children. Base studied graphic design in college and worked in advertising for two years, but found the work insufficiently creative. He began illustrating children’s books, and in 1983 had his first sale as a writer and illustrator with My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch. Base prefers drawing to writing. He says he writes in order to have books to illustrate. His artwork and writing are primarily means of self-expression. He writes and draws first for himself, then considers the marketing requirements of his work, an approach he recommends to young writers and illustrators. Among his many award-winning books are Animalia (1987), The Eleventh Hour (1993), The Worst Band in the Universe (2000), and The Waterhole (2001).