Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell (born February 24, 1973) is an American author known for young adult and adult contemporary novels. Her young adult novels '' Eleanor & Park'' (2012), '' Fangirl'' (2013), and '' Carry On'' (2015) have been subjects of critical acclaim.

She was the writer of the 2017 revival of Marvel Comics' '' Runaways'' and for She-Hulk from 2022 to 2024.

Career

Early career

Rowell was a columnist and ad copywriter at the '' Omaha World-Herald'' from 1995 to 2012.

Adult novels

After leaving her position as a columnist, Rowell began working for an ad agency and writing what would become her first published novel, '' Attachments'', as a pastime. Rowell gave birth to her first son during this period and paused work on the manuscript for two years. The novel, a contemporary romantic comedy about a company's IT guy who falls in love with a woman whose email he has been monitoring, was published in 2011. ''Kirkus Reviews'' listed it as one of the outstanding debuts that year.

In 2014, Rowell published ''Landline'', a contemporary adult novel about a marriage in trouble.

In August 2023, Rowell sold the future publishing rights of four adult novels to William Morrow and Company. The first, titled ''Slow Dance'', was released in July 2024. Rowell's next novel, ''Cherry Baby'', will be released in spring 2026.

Young adult novels

Eleanor & Park

In 2012, Rowell published the young adult novel, '' Eleanor & Park''. This and her other novel '' Fangirl'' were both named by ''The New York Times'' as among the best young adult fiction of the year. ''Eleanor & Park'' was also chosen by Amazon as one of the 10 best books of 2013, and it also won as Goodreads' best young adult fiction of the year. In 2014, DreamWorks optioned ''Eleanor & Park'', and Rowell worked on a screenplay, but in 2016, Rowell said the option timed out and the rights reverted to her. In 2019, it was announced that Picturestart had acquired the film rights, with Rowell writing the screenplay and executive producing.

Rowell's work garnered some negative attention in 2013 when a parents' group at a Minnesota high school challenged ''Eleanor & Park'' and Rowell was disinvited to a library event; a panel ultimately determined that the book could stay on library shelves. Rowell noted in an interview that the material that these parents were calling " profane" was what many kids in difficult situations realistically had to deal with, and that "when these people call ''Eleanor & Park'' an obscene story, I feel like they’re saying that rising above your situation isn’t possible."

Fangirl and Simon Snow trilogy

In 2013, Rowell published the young adult novel '' Fangirl'' about Cath, a college freshman who writes fan fiction of a fictional book series about Simon Snow, a young mage at a magical school. It was influenced by the popularity of fan fiction of the ''Harry Potter'' series by J.K. Rowling.

In 2020, it was announced that ''Fangirl'' would receive a four-part manga adaptation, adapted by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Gabi Nam.

Rowell created a trilogy of novels based on the characters from Cath's fan fiction in ''Fangirl.'' Her 2015 novel '' Carry On'' shares a title with the popular fan fiction story Cath wrote in ''Fangirl''. In the novel, Simon Snow, in his eighth year at school, comes to terms with his calling as the Chosen One meant to destroy the Insidious Humdrum, a magical force destroying the world of mages. He embarks on his quest with his best friend Penelope and his girlfriend Agatha, all the while "struggling" with Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Grimm-Pitch, his vampire "nemesis." Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy was completed with the 2019 novel '' Wayward Son'' and 2021's ''Any Way the Wind Blows''.

Comics and graphic novels

In January 2014, Rowell signed a two-book deal with First Second Books to author two young adult graphic novels, the first of which was illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks and released on August 27, 2019.

Rowell has also written for Marvel Comics. Between 2017 and 2021, Rowell wrote ''Runaways'', and from 2022 to 2024 wrote ''She-Hulk''. In 2025, Rowell returned to Marvel for a five issue limited series of Runaways.

Personal life

Rowell lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband and two sons. She has a sister named Jade and a half sister, Abby, who owns a popular local coffee chain in Omaha, NE.

Bibliography

Young adult

* '' Eleanor & Park'' (2012)
* '' Fangirl'' (2013)
*Simon Snow Series
** '' Carry On'' (2015)
** '' Wayward Son'' (2019)
**''Any Way the Wind Blows'' (2021)

Adult

* '' Attachments'' (2011)
* ''Landline'' (2014)
* ''Slow Dance'' (2024)

Short fiction collections

*''Almost Midnight'' (2017): Compilation of two short stories: "Midnights" and "Kindred Spirits.
*''Scattered Showers'' (2022)

Short fiction

* "Midnights", '' My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories'', ed. Stephanie Perkins (2014)
* ''Kindred Spirits'' (World Book Day Edition) (2016)
*''The Prince and the Troll'' (2020)
*''If the Fates Allow'' (2021)

Comic books

* '' Runaways'', illustrated by Kris Anka (2017-2021)
*''Pumpkinheads'', illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks (2019)
* ''She-Hulk'', illustrated by Rogê Antônio (2022-2024)
* "The Kid's Got a Good Eye", illustrated by Olivier Coipel, in '' Amazing Fantasy 1000'' (2022)
* ''Runaways,'' illustrated by Elena Casagrande (2025)

References

External links

Rainbow Rowell's Official Website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowell, Rainbow
Living people
21st-century American novelists
American children's writers
American women novelists
American writers of young adult literature
Marvel Comics writers
Place of birth missing (living people)
Writers from Nebraska
21st-century American women writers
1973 births
American women children's writers
American women writers of young adult literature
American women science fiction and fantasy writers