Jandy Nelson is a highly acclaimed American author, best known for her young adult novels The Sky Is Everywhere and I'll Give You the Sun. Her debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, was a best book of the year in various publications such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, and NPR. Following its success, she published I'll Give You the Sun, which earned several awards including the 2015 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, Bank Street's Josette Frank Award, and a Stonewall Honor Book Award.
Nelson's superstitious background is reflected in her characters and stories. Raised in a family that believes in four-leaf clover hunts, knocking on wood, throwing salt, and carrying charms, these practices have found their way into her writing. Both of her novels have been nominated as YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, with I'll Give You the Sun being a Top Ten on both YALSA and Rainbow Lists. They have also been featured on multiple best-of-the-year lists including the New York Times, Time Magazine, and NPR, earning numerous starred reviews and achieving international success in over 47 countries.
The novel I'll Give You the Sun has been sold to Warner Brothers, and screenwriter Natalie Krinsky is currently working on the adaptation. Previously, Nelson worked as a literary agent for many years before becoming a full-time writer. She holds a BA from Cornell University and MFAs in Poetry and Children's Writing from Brown University and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Nelson currently resides in San Francisco, California, where she continues to write and draw inspiration from the surroundings for her novels.