Nic Stone

Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. She studied psychology at Spelman College but left after her junior year. She then spent the following four years in Israel, where she worked as a tour guide. It was her experiences there, listening to other people’s stories and writing long narrative emails to friends and family at home, that spurred her to become a writer. After returning to Spelman College and completing her psychology degree, Spelman hired an agent and began to write. Her first novel, 2017’s Dear Martin, which is the companion to Dear Justyce, topped bestseller lists upon its initial publication and again when it was rereleased in paperback. Her other young adult and middle grade novels have received similar accolades. All of Stone’s published works tackle either the experiences of African American or LGBT youth, or some combination of the two. In addition to novels, Stone has also written a number of short stories and essays, as well as edited anthologies. She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and two sons.