Vendela Vida

Vendela Vida is a highly accomplished author and editor, renowned for her perceptive and evocative works. She has written six books, including the critically acclaimed novels "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name" and "The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty." Vida's writing is known for its depth and emotional resonance, which has earned her a wide following and numerous accolades.

In addition to her work as an author, Vida is a founding editor of The Believer magazine, a literary publication that features in-depth interviews, essays, and reviews. She has also co-edited several books, including "Always Apprentices," a collection of interviews with writers, and "Confidence, or the Appearance of Confidence," a collection of interviews with musicians. Vida's editorial work reflects her deep commitment to fostering a vibrant literary culture and promoting the work of emerging and established writers.

Vida's accomplishments extend beyond her writing and editorial work. She has been a fellow at the Sundance Labs, where she developed "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name" into a script. The project received the Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, further highlighting Vida's versatility as a storyteller. She has also been recognized with several awards, including the Kate Chopin Award, which is given to a writer whose female protagonist chooses an unconventional path.

Beyond her professional achievements, Vida is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She has served on the board of 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and tutoring lab for youth, since 2002. Vida lives in Northern California with her husband and two children, and continues to be an active and influential figure in the literary world. Her latest novel, "We Run the Tides," is a testament to her enduring talent and creativity as a writer.
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 And Now You Can Go 2003
2 Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name 2007
3 The Lovers 2010
4 The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty 2015
5 We Run the Tides 2021
Non-Fiction Books
# Title Year
1 Girls on the Verge: Debutante Dips, Drive-Bys, and Other Initiations 1999
2 Confidence, or the Appearance of Confidence: The Best of the Believer Music Interviews 2014
3 Let's Break Some Black Hearts: A Decade of Film Interviews from The Believer 2015
Read Hard Books (with Ed Park, with Heidi Julavits)
# Title Year
1 Read Hard: Five Years of Great Writing from the Believer 2009
Vendela Vida Anthologies
# Title Year
1 The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers 2005
2 Read Hard: Five Years of Great Writing from the Believer 2009
3 Always Apprentices 2013
4 Ploughshares Spring 2017 Issue 2017
5 The Writer's Library 2020