D. M. Cornish

Cornish studied illustration at the University of South Australia, where in 1993 he began to compile a series of notebooks: over the next ten years he filled 23 journals with his pictures, definitions, ideas and histories of his world, the "Half-Continent".

It was not until 2003 that a chance encounter with a children's publisher gave him an opportunity to develop these ideas further. Learning of his journals, she urged him to write a story from his world. Cornish was sent away with the task of delivering 1,000 words the following week and each week thereafter. Abandoning all other paid work, he spent the next two years propped up with one small advance after another.

His first book is Foundling, the first part of the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy. The second book named Lamplighter was released in May 2008. The third in the series is named Factotum and was released in October 2010. He has stated that he plans to continue writing novels set in the Half-Continent and in March 2014, published a book of short stories titled Tales from the Half-Continent (Monster Blood Tattoo 3.5).[1]

• 2006 Aurealis Award Best Young Adult Novel, winner for Monster Blood Tattoo Book One: Foundling[2]
• 2007 Children's Book Council of Australia Older Readers Book of the Year, Shortlist for Monster Blood Tattoo Book One: Foundling[3]
• 2008 Aurealis Award Best Children's (8-12 years) Illustrated Work/Picture Book, finalist for The Sorcerer's Tower series (illustrator)[2]
• 2008 Aurealis Award Best Young Adult Novel, finalist for Monster Blood Tattoo Book Two: Lamplighter[2]
• 2014 Aurealis Award Best Young Adult Short Story, finalist for The Fuller and the Bogle' appearing in Tales from the Half Continent[2]

• Official blog
• Miss Erin Interview with Mr. Cornish
• D. M. Cornish at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• D. M. Cornish at Library of Congress Authorities, with 9 catalogue records