Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan was born in 1974 and grew up in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. He graduated from the University of WA in 1995 with joint honours in Fine Arts and English Literature, and currently works full time as a freelance artist and writer in Melbourne. Shaun began creating images for science fiction and horror stories in small-press magazines as a teenager, and has since become best known for illustrated books that deal with social, political and historical subjects through surreal, dream-like imagery. Books such as The Red Tree, The Lost Thing and the acclaimed wordless novel The Arrival have been widely translated throughout the world and enjoyed by readers of all ages. His most recently published book is Tales from Outer Suburbia, a collection of short illustrated stories. Shaun has also worked as a theatre designer, and a concept artist for animated films, including Pixar's WALL-E, and directed the short film adaptation of The Lost Thing in association with Passion Pictures Australia.