Morris was born in England and emigrated to Australia in 1969. He started his career as writer for the TV comedy The Norman Gunston Show.
He then wrote his first children’s novel, The Other Facts of Life, in 1985. Morris adapted The Other Facts of Life into a screenplay, which won an AWGIE Award for the Best Original Children’s Film Script.
Morris became well known through his semi-autobiographical columns in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, which he wrote for nine years. However, he is best known for his children’s books, which have been published in about twenty countries.
All Morris’ children’s books have been shortlisted for or have won numerous children’s book prizes here and overseas. The Felix series (Once, Then, Now, After, Soon and his 2017 book Maybe), follows 10 year old Polish Jewish Felix as he escapes from the Nazis in World War 2.
His other titles include Second Childhood, Misery Guts, Worry Warts, Puppy Fat, Blabber Mouth, Sticky Beak, Belly Flop, Water Wings, Bumface, Gift Of the Gab, Toad Rage, two six-part novels written in collaboration with Paul Jennings (Wicked and Deadly), Adults Only, Toad Heaven, Boy Overboard, Teacher’s Pet, Toad Away, Girl Underground, Worm Story, Aristotle’s Nostril, Doubting Thomas, Give Peas A Chance, Toad Surprise, Grace, Too Small To Fail, Pizza Cake, Extra Time, Loyal Creatures, Toad Delight and Snot Chocolate.