Gabrielle Zevin (born October 24, 1977) is an American author and screenwriter.

Personal life

Zevin was born in New York City. Zevin's father, who is American-born, has

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

, and

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

ancestry. Her mother was born in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

and emigrated to the United States when she was 9 years old. The two met in high school in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

and later worked for IBM. She grew up in

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

and graduated from

Spanish River Community High School Spanish River Community High School is a public, coeducational high school in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County and serves the cities of Boca Raton and Delray Beach. History Spanish River Community ...

in 1996. She enrolled at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, where she studied

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

with a concentration in

American Literature American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...

. While at Harvard, she met her partner,

Hans Canosa Hans Canosa (born January 10, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, film editor and producer best known for his independent film ''Conversations with Other Women'' (2005), starring Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter. Background ...

and graduated in 2000. For nearly a decade, Zevin lived in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

before moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in 2012, where she presently lives with Canosa.

Writing

Novels

Zevin's debut novel, ''Margarettown'', published in 2005, was a selection of the

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...

Discover Great New Writers Program and longlisted for the

James Tiptree Jr. Award The Otherwise Award, formerly known as the James Tiptree Jr. Award, is an American annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February 1991 by science f ...

. In a

starred review A starred review is a book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece ...

, ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' called the novel "a droll piece of romantic whimsy with an unexpected resonance." In 2014, ''The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry'' debuted on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller List, reached #1 on the National Indie Best Seller List, and went on to become an international bestseller. It has been translated into over thirty languages. In 2021, shooting commenced on a feature film adaptation of the novel, starring

Kunal Nayyar Kunal Nayyar (, ; born 30 April 1981) is a British actor. He portrayed Raj Koothrappali on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019) and voiced Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom ''Sanjay and Craig'' (2013–2016). Nayyar als ...

in the title role, and

Lucy Hale Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Award, a People's ...

, Christina Hendricks, David Arquette, and

Scott Foley Scott Kellerman Foley (born July 15, 1972) is an American actor and director. Foley is known for roles in television shows such as ''The Unit'', '' Scrubs'', '' Felicity'', and ''Scandal'', and in films such as '' Scream 3''. He has als ...

. Zevin wrote the screenplay adaptation of her novel. Her fourth novel for adults, ''Young Jane Young'' (2017), was also met with popular and critical acclaim. ''Kirkus Reviews'' called it "the best thing to come out of the

Monica Lewinsky scandal Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...

since Lewinsky's own magnificent

TED talk TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

." ''

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" is the beginning of the second sentence of one of the most famous soliloquies in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth''. It takes place in the beginning of the fifth scene of Act 5, during the time when th ...

'' was released in 2022 as Zevin's fifth novel for adults. It won the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction.

Novels for young readers

Zevin has also written books for young readers. Her first

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

novel, '' Elsewhere,'' was published in 2005, three months after her adult debut, ''Margarettown''. It was chosen as an

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Notable Children's Book, nominated for a 2006

Quill award The Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years in 2005-2007. It was a "consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy." The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the Quill Award, was support ...

, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was a selection of the

Book Club. It also made the Carnegie long list. The book has been translated into over 25 languages. Zevin's 2007 young adult book ''Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac'' was chosen for the

ALA Best Books for Young Adults The American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults, previously known as Best Books for Young Adults (1966–2010), is a recommendation list of books presented yearly by the YALSA division (Young Adult Library Services Association Th ...

list. In 2010, she and Hans Canosa adapted it into a screenplay that became the Japanese movie '' Dareka ga Watashi ni Kiss wo Shita'' (''Someone Kissed Me''), starring top teen

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

actress

Maki Horikita is a Japanese former actress. During her career from 2003 until 2017, she starred in numerous Japanese television dramas, television and magazine advertisements, and movies, including roles in ''Nobuta wo Produce'', ''Hanazakari no Kimitachi e' ...

Other writing

In 2007, Zevin was nominated for an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

for Best First

Screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

for ''

Conversations with Other Women ''Conversations with Other Women'' is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Hans Canosa, written by Gabrielle Zevin, starring Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter. The film won Best Actress for Bonham Carter at the 2005 Tokyo International Fi ...

''. The film was directed by

and starred

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award a ...

and Aaron Eckhart. Zevin has written book reviews for the ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' and

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

''.

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Novels

* ''Margarettown'' (2005) * ''

The Hole We're In ''The Hole We're In'' is a 2010 novel by Gabrielle Zevin about a family who are caught in a complex bureaucratic tangle when a credit card company sends New Yorker Vincent Pomeroy bills for a man of the same name who lives in Texas. When Pomeroy ...

'' (2010) * ''The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry'' (2014) * ''Young Jane Young'' (2017) * ''

'' (2022) Novels for Young Readers * '' Elsewhere'' (2005) * ''Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac'' (2007) ''Birthright'' series: * ''All These Things I've Done'' (2011) * ''Because It Is My Blood'' (2012) * ''In the Age of Love and Chocolate'' (2013)

Screenplays

* ''Alma Mater'' (2002) * ''

'' (2005) * ''

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is a 2010 Japanese teen drama film directed by Hans Canosa and based on the 2007 young adult novel of the same name by Gabrielle Zevin. The film stars Japanese actress Maki Horikita, Japanese actors Kenichi Matsuyama and Yuya Tegoshi, and Ameri ...

'' (2010) * ''The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry'' (2022)

References

External links

Gabrielle Zevin's Official Website
*

* ttps://www.npr.org/2014/03/28/294393870/in-storied-life-characters-come-with-a-reading-list ''All Things Considered'' Interview: "In 'Storied Life,' Characters Come with a Reading List"br>''Weekend Edition Sunday'' Interview: "'Young Jane Young' Is A Political Sex Scandal, Told Through Women's Eyes"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zevin, Gabrielle 1977 births Living people 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American people of Russian-Jewish descent American writers of Korean descent American women novelists Harvard College alumni Writers from New York City Novelists from New York (state)