Andy Griffiths (born 3 September 1961) is an Australian children's author.
His books are published all over the world and include the Treehouse series, which has been adapted into several stage plays.
He is well known for working with Terry Denton. He is also notable for his Just! series, which was adapted into an animated television series called What's with Andy?, his novel The Day My Bum Went Psycho, which was also adapted into a television series.
His latest series, featuring YOU (the reader) and ME (the narrator) is illustrated by Bill Hope.
Griffiths was appointed the Australian Children's Laureate for 2026–2027. In the role he will travel around Australia and promote reading. His motto is "Reading is an Adventure".
Early life Andy was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He attended Pascoe Vale Primary School, Eastmont Primary School and later, Yarra Valley Grammar School.
Inspired by his love of reading he wrote and drew short stories and cartoons for his family and friends. In the fifth grade he purchased a typewriter at a second-hand stall at school and created his own humour magazine called ‘Popcorn’, which he sold for three cents a copy.
In high school he began writing for the school's magazine and, inspired by punk/new wave music, wrote satirical songs and formed a band with his friends.
Career After graduating high school in 1979, he attended Monash University where he completed a BA with honours in English Literature, while at the same time gaining writing and performing experience as the front man for a number of experimental bands in Melbourne's vibrant alternative music scene centred around the Crystal Ballroom.
After completing a Diploma of Education at Rusden Teachers College (now Deakin University) in 1987, Andy became a high school teacher.
It was during this time as a teacher, that Andy began to write and self-publish collections of outlandish stories and cartoons in an attempt to inspire his students to embrace the fun and limitless possibilities of creative reading and writing.
He eventually took leave from his job in 1991 and enrolled in a full-time Diploma of Professional Writing at Deakin University. It was during this period that he met and formed a partnership with like-minded illustrator Terry Denton.
Advocacy Andy is the Australian Children's Laureate 2026–2027. He is an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation, and was awarded the Dromkeen Medal in 2015 to honour his outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature.
Books
The JUST! Series TitleYearNotesJust Tricking!1997 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2002 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) First Most Popular 2001, Territory Kids’ Book of the Year 2005 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Hall of Fame 2004Just Annoying!1998 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable Book 1999 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 1999 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Younger Readers 1999Just Stupid!1999 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2000 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Senior Readers 1999 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Most Popular 2002Just Crazy!2000 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner CYBER (Children's Yearly Best Ever Reads) Winner Younger Readers 2000, 2001, 2002 Younger Readers 2002, 2006 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2001 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2001Just Disgusting!2002 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2004 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Older Readers 2003 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2003 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Most Popular Book 2003 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2003Just Shocking2007 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2008 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Younger Readers 2008 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2008 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Winner Younger Readers 2008 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2008Just Macbeth!2009 Helpmann Awards Nominee: Best Australian Work 2009 Helpmann Awards Nominee: Best Presentation for Children 2009 Prime Minister's Literary Awards Shortlist: Children's Fiction 2010Just Doomed!2012
The Treehouse Series TitleYearNotesThe 13-Storey Treehouse2011 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Older Children 2012 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) 2012 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Fiction for Older Readers 2012 Sainsburys Children’ Book Award 2015 (UK) Lancashire Fantastic Book Award 2016 (UK) Coventry Inspiration Award 2016 (UK) WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2012 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) 2012The 26-Storey Treehouse2012 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Older Children 2013 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Older Readers 2013 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Older Readers 2013 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2013 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2013The 39-Storey Treehouse 2013 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Older Children 2014 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Older Readers 2014 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2014 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice Awards) Best Fiction for Older Readers 2014 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2014 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2014The 52-Storey Treehouse 2014 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year 2015 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Younger Children 2015 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2015 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2015 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2015 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2015The 65-Storey Treehouse2015 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Younger Children 2016 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2016 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable Book for Younger Readers 2016 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2016 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2016 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2016The 78-Storey Treehouse2016 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Younger Children 2017 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Audiobook of the Year 2017 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2017 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2017 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2017The 91-Storey Treehouse2017 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Audiobook of the Year 2018 BILBY (Books I Loved Best Yearly) Winner Older Readers 2018 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2018 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers reviews 2018The 104-Storey Treehouse2018 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Younger Children 2019 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2019 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2019The 117-Storey Treehouse 2019 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Award) Book of the Year for Younger Children 2020 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2020 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2020The 130-Storey Treehouse2020 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2021 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2021 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2021The 143-Storey Treehouse2021 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2022 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Winner Older Readers 2022 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2022The 156-Storey Treehouse2022The 169-Storey Treehouse 2023 Treehouse Extras Treehouse Tales: 13 tales too silly to be told until now2022Who's Who and What's Where in the Treehouse 2023The Treehouse Joke Book 2019The Treehouse Joke Book 2 2021The Treehouse Fun Book2016The Treehouse Fun Book 2 2017The Treehouse Fun Book 3 2018The Treehouse Bumper Fun Book2021Little Treehouse Books: Barky the Barking Dog 2015Little Treehouse Books: Ten Unlucky Pirates 2015The 13-Storey Treehouse full-colour anniversary edition 2021The 26-Storey Treehouse full-colour edition2023The 39-Storey Treehouse full-colour edition2024The 52-Storey Treehouse full-colour edition 2025
YOU & ME Series TitleYearNotesYOU & ME and the Land of Lost Things2024 REAL Awards 2026 Fictions for Younger Readers shortlistYOU & ME and the Peanut Butter Beast2025YOU & ME and the Gigantic Knucklehead2026
The Bum Trilogy TitleYearNotesThe Day My Bum Went Psycho 2001 Bookseller's Choice Award Shortlisted Book of the Year 2001 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Older Readers 2002 YARA (Young Australian Readers Award) Older Readers Award 2001Zombie Bums from Uranus2003 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Older Readers 2007Bumageddon: The final pongflict 2005
Early readers TitleYearNotesThe Cat on the Mat is Flat2006 BILBY (Books I loved Best Yearly) Winner Younger Readers 2007 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Shortlisted Book of the Year Younger Readers 2007 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Younger Readers 2007 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2007 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Most popular Younger Readers 2007 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2007The Big Fat Cow that Goes Kapow2006 COOL (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) Winner Younger Readers 2010 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2010 KROC (Kids Reading Oz Choice) Most popular Younger Readers 2010 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Winner Younger Readers 2010
NON-Information Books TitleYearWhat Body Part is That?2011What Bumosaur is That?2007
Schooling Around Series TitleYearNotesTreasure Fever2008 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Hall of Fame 2011Pencil of Doom2008 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Hall of Fame 2011Mascot Madness2009 WAYBRA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award) Winner Younger Readers 2010 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Hall of Fame 2011Robot Riot2009 YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) Hall of Fame 2011
Activity Books TitleYearLET'S GO! Stories to Write, Stories to Draw, Stories to Read, Adventures Galore2026Once upon a Slime: 45 ways to get writing ... fast!2013
TV & Theatre adaptations +YearShow titleProducerNo. of seasons2001–2007What's With Andy?CinéGroupe32013–2015The Day My Butt Went PsychoNelvana, Studio Moshi & Brain Bender Pty Ltd2Theatre
Just Macbeth! (2008) Bell Shakespeare Company (2008–2010) The 13-Storey Treehouse CDP Theatre Company The 26-Storey Treehouse CDP Theatre Company The 52-Storey Treehouse CDP Theatre Company The 78-Storey Treehouse CDP Theatre Company The 91-Storey Treehouse CDP Theatre Company YOU & ME and the Land of Lost Things CDP Theatre Company
References
External links
Official website Griffiths profile on Macmillan.com