Scott Monk was born in Macksville NSW in 1974, grew up in Sydney and now lives in Adelaide. His first book with Random House, BOYZ 'R' US, won the Young Adults category of the 1997 Royal Blind Society's Talking Book Awards and RAW his second novel was also shortlisted for the same awards in 1998. Scott wrote BOYZ 'R' US when he was 19 and it was published by Random House when he was 21. RAW is one of the few young adult novels listed for study for the 2001 HSC in NSW. In 1999, he won South Australia's Young Journalist of the Year Award for his committment to youth affairs. He currently works for The Australian newspaper in Sydney. Scott's loves include Indian food, photography, cricket, chocolate, movies, thunderstorms, frogs, going to the gym and body-boarding.