Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford in 1970 and grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories.  Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so spent most of his days in hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom he would occupy himself with books and stories.
After he completed his studies of English literature at the University of York, he worked in London as an editor for Walker Books.  This soon led to him writing his own books and during the 1990s, he started publishing his own works, quickly gaining success. In May 1999, he published his first children's novel, Buried Fire, which was the first in a line of fantasy/mythology children books for children.
Among his most prominent works are the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy, comprising The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate and these were the first of his books to be published in the United States. A film based on The Amulet of Samarkand is being made for a possible release in 2009.
Jonathan now lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his two children, Isabelle and Arthur, and his wife Gina, an illustrator of children's books.
His latest novel, Heroes of the Valley, is due for release in the UK, USA and Germany in January 2009; France in Autumn 2009 and in 8 other countries across the world.

Justin Credible’s Word Play World (1994)

The Viking Saga of Harri Bristlebeard (1997)

The Hare and the Tortoise (1998)

Walking through the Jungle (1998)

The Little Red Car (1999)

Alfie’s Big Adventure (1999)

Buried Fire (1999)

Little Spike and Long Tail (2000)

Golidilocks and the Three Bears (2000)

Sightseers: Ancient Rome (2000)

The Leap (2001)

The Last Siege(2003)

The Lost Treasure of Captain Blood (2006)

Heroes of the Valley (2008)

The Bartimaeus Trilogy

The Amulet of Samarkand (2003)

The Golem's Eye (2004)

Ptolemy's Gate (2005)

Author's Books