Jennifer Longo is a young adult novelist, who was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She spent much of her early life in the city and developed a love for writing at a young age. Longo attended San Francisco State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Acting. She then went on to pursue her passion for writing by attending Humboldt State University, where she received her MFA in Writing for Theatre. After completing her studies, Longo began her career as a playwright, producing plays in universities and small theatres, and even interning at the San Francisco Magic Theatre. However, she always desired to expand and stretch the plays she had written into novels. Once her daughter started kindergarten, Longo finally had the opportunity to focus on her writing and began rewriting her first play into a novel.
Longo's debut novel, "Six Feet Under," was published in 2014 and received starred reviews from The Bulletin and Kirkus. The novel also made the shortlist for the Washington State Book Awards in 2015. Since then, Longo has published two more young adult novels, "Up to This Pointe" in 2016 and "What I Carry" in 2020. "What I Carry" won the 2021 Washington State Book Award and the 2022 Iowa All Reads Book Award. Longo's novels have been praised for their nuance and humanity, and she has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to the coming-of-age canon.
In addition to her writing, Longo is also an award-winning playwright. She has received two Irene Ryan Best Actor awards and was honored for her play "Frozen" by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Longo is a California native and currently resides in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and daughter. When she's not writing, Longo enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dogs, running, reading, and attending her daughter's ballet classes.