Jan Eliasberg is an award-winning writer and director whose debut novel, "Hannah's War," was published by Little, Brown in 2020. The historical fiction work, which sold over 50,000 copies, follows a female Austrian physicist working on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Originally adapted from her Black List-honored screenplay "Heart of the Atom," the novel was acquired in a preemptive deal as Little Brown's lead spring title. Eliasberg is currently developing "Hannah's War" into a feature film, which she will direct.
With dual MFAs in Directing from Yale School of Drama and Fiction from Warren Wilson College, Eliasberg has built a multifaceted career spanning literature, film, and television. Her screenwriting focuses on strong female protagonists, evidenced by projects like "W.A.S.P." about WWII women pilots for Fox, "Mi Corazon" for Universal with Jennifer Lopez, and the YA fantasy "The Gemcutter" for Sony. As a director, she broke barriers as the first woman to helm episodes of groundbreaking series like "Miami Vice," "Crime Story," and "Wiseguy," while earning Emmy, Imagen, and NAACP Image Awards for her television work.
Eliasberg's directing credits include the feature film "Past Midnight" starring Paul Giamatti and Natasha Richardson, along with episodes of numerous series such as "Parenthood," "Blue Bloods," and "Thirteen Reasons Why." Her upcoming project, "Before I Sleep," explores female perspectives on grief and features Sophia Lillis in the lead role. A graduate of Wesleyan University magna cum laude, Eliasberg continues to balance literary pursuits with her work in visual storytelling, consistently championing complex female narratives across mediums.