Carlo Collodi (pen-name of Carlo Lorenzini) was born in Florence in 1826. He began his career as a journalist and worked as a civil servant before becoming a published author. In 1881 he wrote a short episode in the life of a wooden puppet for a newspaper, and it was an immediate success. The first English language version of the adventures of Pinocchio was published in 1892, two years after his death. John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, five for young readers and a collection of short stories. Perhaps best known for his 2006 multi-award-winning and bestselling book The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, John's other novels, notably A History of Loneliness, The Heart's Invisible Furies, and A Ladder to the Sky have been widely praised and are international bestsellers. He lives in Dublin.
