Walter Wangerin, Jr. is a literary scholar, theologian, performance storyteller and best-selling author. He is the author of over 30 books, which encompass a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, children's books, poetry and short stories and have become favourites of people in all walks of life and of all ages. Wangerin's first book, The Book of the Dun Cow, won the National Book Award in 1980 and was The New York Times' Best Children's Book of the Year. Wangerin's was also awarded the Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature (2000) . His vibrant retelling of the Bible as an epic novel – The Book of God – was acclaimed as a literary masterpiece and has now been published in over 20 languages worldwide and recently reissued. He is writer-in- residence at Valparaiso University. He and his wife live in Valparaiso, Indiana, USA.
