About the Author

Laurie writing at age 12

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. Combined, her books have sold more than 8 million copies. Her new book, SHOUT, a memoir-in-verse about surviving sexual assault at the age of thirteen and a manifesta for the #MeToo era, has received widespread critical acclaim and was Laurie’s eighth New York Times bestselling book.

Two of her novels, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was short-listed for the prestigious Carnegie medal in the United Kingdom. Laurie has been nominated for Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award seven times. Laurie was selected by the American Library Association for the Margaret A. Edwards Award and has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English.

In addition to combating censorship, Laurie regularly speaks about the need for diversity in publishing and is a member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council. She lives in Philadelphia, where she enjoys cheesesteaks while she writes. Find out more about Laurie by following her on Twitter at @halseanderson, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.

Honors and Recognition

  • New York Times Bestselling Author
  • Two-time National Book Award nominee
  • 2016 - 2022 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate
  • 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award, American Association of Community Colleges
  • 2015 Intellectual Freedom Award, National Council of Teachers of English
  • 2011 Free Speech Defender Award, National Coalition Against Censorship
  • 2010 School Library Month Spokesperson for American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of American Library Association (ALA)
  • 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award, given by the American Library Association for significant and lasting achievement in young adult literature
  • 2008 Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) Award, given to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature
  • 2002 Free Library of Philadelphia/Drexel University Children’s Literature Citation