Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli was born and raised in the Atlanta metro area; Creekwood High and the town of Shady Creek are based off the high school she attended, Riverwood High, and the town where she grew up, Sandy Springs. She graduated from George Washington University with a doctorate in clinical psychology and then worked as a clinical psychologist. She worked often with LGBTQ teens and adults, as well as gender nonconforming children. Though they certainly influenced her decision to write Simon, she's been very vocal about the fact that Simon isn't based off of any one of her clients. In 2012, Albertalli gave birth to her first son and decided to try her hand at writing, which culminated in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. She's since written several other books including Leah on the Offbeat, which continues the story in Simon's universe. Simon has won several awards, including the American Library Association's William C. Morris award and the German Youth Literature Prize. Albertalli had the opportunity to be involved in the adaptation of Simon into the film Love, Simon, which was filmed in the Atlanta area. She still lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband and two sons.