Let's make this birthday one to remember.

54 years old (Born on October 27, 1970)

Happy Birthday, Jonathan Stroud! May your day be filled with more wit and charm than Bartimaeus himself—though hopefully fewer sarcastic footnotes. Your brilliant storytelling has conjured worlds that captivate readers young and old; from the mischievous djinni's antics to Lockwood & Co.'s ghostly escapades, you've kept us laughing (and occasionally hiding under blankets) for years.

Here's wishing you another year of literary magic as spellbinding as "The Amulet of Samarkand" and adventures even spookier than a midnight stroll through haunted London streets. Keep enchanting us all—you've certainly earned an extra slice of cake today (just watch out for any summoned spirits lurking nearby)!