Shannon Hale is the best-selling, award-winning author of over forty books for early readers, middle grade readers, young adults, and adults.

Brief bio

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of over forty books for all ages, including multiple award winners The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, and Newbery Honor recipient Princess Academy. One of her novels for the adult crowd, Austenland, was made into movie starring Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge. With LeUyen Pham, she created her best-selling graphic novel memoirs Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever, and the Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn picture books. She co-writes books with her husband Dean Hale, like the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge, books for DC Comics about young Wonder Woman, and best-selling chapter book series The Princess in Black. She lives in Utah with their four children and two ridiculous cats.

Slightly wordier bio

New York Times best selling author Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and never stopped, eventually earning an MFA in Creative Writing. After nineteen years of writing and many rejections, she published The Goose Girl, the first book in her award-winning Books of Bayern series. Her other books for young adults include the acclaimed fantasy Book of a Thousand Days, the sci-fi adventure Dangerous, and genre-bending comedy Kind of a Big Deal. Her books for middle grade readers include the Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy and sequels, and the USA Today best-selling Ever After High series. With Caldecott-honoree LeUyen Pham, she created her award-winning graphic novel memoirs Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever and the bestselling Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn picture books. With director Jerusha Hess, Shannon co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of her novel Austenland. With her husband Dean Hale, Shannon co-wrote: Eisner-nominee Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack (with Nathan Hale), two books about Marvel's unbeatable super hero Squirrel Girl, DC’s Diana, Princess of the Amazons series (with Victoria Ying) and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (with Asiah Fulmore), and the popular early chapter book series The Princess in Black (with LeUyen Pham). Shannon's books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and studied in classrooms from elementary schools to universities. She is a renowned public speaker and advocate for gender equality. She and Dean live with their four children near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Even meatier bio

Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she started to write fantasy novels—but never managed to finish them. 

Embarrassed to have such an “impossible dream,” she wrote in secret for years while pursuing acting in television, stage, and improv comedy and a bachelor's degree in English. Shannon was finally forced out of the writers' closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing.

A few years and many rejections later, she published her first book, The Goose Girl, an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born continue the award-winning Books of Bayern series. Princess Academy won a prestigious Newbery Honor award and is followed by bestsellers Palace of Stone and The Forgotten Sisters. Book of a Thousand Days received a Cybils award and was featured on many best of the year lists. With

Caldecott-Honoree LeUyen Pham, she’s created memoirs about her struggles with friendship and anxiety in the popular graphic novels Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever and created the adorable picture book series Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn. With director Jerusha Hess, Shannon co-wrote a screenplay based on her first book for adults, Austenland. Shot in England and starring Keri Russell, the film was a competition selection at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics. Shannon penned a sequel, Midnight in Austenland, as well as a third novel for adults, The Actor and the Housewife, which was the City Weekly readers' choice winner for best novel of the year.

Shannon and her husband Dean are frequent collaborators. They co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge, an Al Roker's Book Club for Kids selection and Eisner nominee, and its sequel, Calamity Jack (both with co-creator Nathan Hale). With LeUyen Pham, they created the Princess in Black series of early chapter books.

In addition to their own creations, Shannon and Dean have written a number of books about characters created by others: with Mattel, the USA Today bestselling Ever After High series; with Marvel, two books about the unbeatable Squirrel Girl; with DC, graphic novels Diana, Princess of the Amazons and Diana & Nubia, Princesses of the Amazons (with Victoria Ying) and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (with Asiah Fulmore); and with Scholastic, the fourth novel in the collaborative Spirit Animals series. Shannon and Dean make their home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with their four remarkable children and two ridiculous cats named Misty Knight and Mike Hat. 

Shannon’s curriculum vitae