Morris was born in England and brought up in Surrey and had what he calls “a very ordinary childhood”. He read everything he could get his hands on: classics, Westerns, Richmal Compton's Just William Books (which were his favourites), and biographies of soccer stars.

In 1969 he emigrated to Australia with his parents. Everything was completely different. Morris adapted quickly and enrolled on a Professional Writing course. He learnt to write everything from journalism to the jokes on the backs of cornflake packets.

Morris first wrote comedy scripts for TV, providing material for the top Australian shows for ten years before he started writing his own books. In his books, he tries to show how his characters are feeling, inspired by what Morris remembers of his own childhood