Matthew Syed author page

Matthew Syed biography

Matthew Syed is a British author, journalist, and former table tennis player. He attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Syed represented England in table tennis at the Commonwealth Games and competed in the men’s singles at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Syed has written several books for children and young adults, including the You Are Awesome series. The first book, You Are Awesome, was published by Wren & Rook in 2018 and won the Children’s Illustrated Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2019. The series includes titles such as Dare to Be You (2020) and What Do You Think? (2022), co-authored with illustrator and writer Toby Triumph.

In addition to his children’s books, Syed has written non-fiction works for adults, including Black Box Thinking (2015) and Rebel Ideas (2019). He is a columnist for The Times and has presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4.

Syed’s books for young readers focus on themes of growth mindset and resilience. You Are Awesome was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award in 2019. His work has been translated into multiple languages and is published internationally.

In 2019, You Are Awesome received the British Book Award for Children’s Illustrated Non-Fiction Book of the Year.