S F Said

S F Said is a British Muslim children’s author, originally from the Middle East. His novels combine action and adventure with themes of identity, difference and belonging. His first book, Varjak Paw, is about a Mesopotamian Blue cat who dreams of becoming a great warrior. It won the Smarties Prize for Children’s Literature, has sold 500,000 copies and been translated into 12 languages. The sequel, The Outlaw Varjak Paw, was BBC Blue Peter Book of the Year.

His third book, Phoenix, is about a human boy and an alien girl who must save a galaxy threatened by war between humans and aliens. It represented the UK on the IBBY International Honour Book List, was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, and nominated for the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. S F Said has written on children’s and young adult literature for the Guardian and Daily Telegraph. He lives in London.