Wikipedia

Gabrielle Zevin

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

Gabrielle Zevin
Zevin in 2024, Cambridge
Zevin in 2024, Cambridge
BornGabrielle Zevin
(1977-10-24) October 24, 1977 (age 47)
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
Alma materHarvard University
Notable works
PartnerHans Canosa (199?–present)
Website
gabriellezevin.com

Early life and education

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Zevin was born in New York City. Zevin's father, who is American-born, has Russian, Polish and Lithuanian Jewish ancestry.[1] Her mother was born in Korea and immigrated to the United States when she was 9 years old.[1] The two met in high school in Connecticut and later worked for IBM.[1]

She grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, and graduated from Spanish River Community High School in 1996.[2] She enrolled at Harvard University, where she studied English[3] with a concentration in American Literature.[1] While at Harvard, she met her partner, Hans Canosa. She graduated in 2000.[3][1]

Career

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Novels

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Zevin's debut novel, Margarettown, published in 2005, was a selection of the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program and longlisted for the James Tiptree Jr. Award. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called the novel "a droll piece of romantic whimsy with an unexpected resonance."[4]

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 in the title role, and Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks, David Arquette, and Scott Foley.[5] Zevin wrote the screenplay adaptation of her novel.[6]

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 since Lewinsky's own magnificent TED talk."[7]

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was released in 2022 as Zevin's fifth novel for adults.[8] It won the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction.[9]

Novels for young readers

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Zevin has also written books for young readers. Her first young adult novel, Elsewhere, was published in 2005, three months after her adult debut, Margarettown. It was chosen as an American Library Association Notable Children's Book, nominated for a 2006 Quill award, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was a selection of the Barnes & Noble 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 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 actress Maki Horikita.[10]

Other writing

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In 2007, Zevin was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for Conversations with Other Women. The film was directed by Hans Canosa and starred Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart.

Zevin has written book reviews for the New York Times Book Review and NPR's All Things Considered.[10]

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Goodreads Choice Award 2014 Fiction The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Nominated [11]
2017 Young Jane Young Nominated [12]
2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Won [13]
James Tiptree Jr. Award 2005 2005 James Tiptree Jr. Award Margarettown Longlisted [14]

Personal life

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Zevin lived in Manhattan for nearly a decade before moving to Los Angeles in 2012,[1] where she currently lives with Hans Canosa.[3][1]

Bibliography

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Novels

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Brown, Nell Porter (June 8, 2020). "The Arts as Essential Goods". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Russo, Ric (May 19, 2014). "A bookseller's dream: the charming 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry'". Miami Herald. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via miamiherald.com.
  3. ^ a b c Werris, Wendy (November 8, 2013). "By the Book: Gabrielle Zevin". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "Margaret Town". 2022-11-15. Kirkus Reviews. February 15, 2005.
  5. ^ Barraclough, Leo (December 13, 2021). "David Arquette, Scott Foley Join 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry'; Variety". 2022-11-15. Variety.
  6. ^ Gomez, Dessi (November 4, 2022). "'The Storied Life of AJ Fikry' Author Opens Up About the Book-to-Screen Process". TheWrap. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Young Jane Young – Los Angeles Public Library – OverDrive". Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Corrigan, Maureen (July 28, 2022). "The immersive novel 'Tomorrow' is a winner for gamers and n00bs alike". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Goodreads Choice Awards 2022". 2022-12-10. Goodreads. December 10, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "About". Gabrielle Zevin. January 22, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Goodreads: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry". Goodreads. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "Goodreads: Young Jane Young". Goodreads. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  13. ^ "Goodreads Choice Awards 2022". Goodreads. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "Otherwise Award 2005 Longlist". Otherwise Award. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
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