E. Lockhart author page

E. Lockhart biography

E. Lockhart is the pen name of Emily Jenkins, an American author acclaimed for her contributions to young adult and children’s literature. Born in New York City in 1967, she was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Seattle, Washington. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and later obtained a doctorate in English literature from Columbia University, focusing on 19th-century British novels and the history of British book illustration.

Under the name E. Lockhart, she has authored several notable young adult novels. Her debut in this genre, The Boyfriend List (2005), initiated the Ruby Oliver series, which includes The Boy Book (2006), The Treasure Map of Boys (2009), and Real Live Boyfriends (2010). Another significant work, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (2008), was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and received a Michael L. Printz Honor.

Lockhart’s 2014 novel, We Were Liars, achieved #1 New York Times bestseller status and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. She later published a prequel, Family of Liars (2022), and a sequel, We Fell Apart, scheduled for release in 2025. Her other works include Genuine Fraud (2017), a psychological thriller, and Again Again (2020), which explores alternate realities.

In addition to novels, Lockhart created the graphic novel Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero (2021) for DC Comics, introducing a new Jewish teenage superhero. She has also co-authored the Upside-Down Magic series with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle, writing under her real name, Emily Jenkins.

Lockhart has taught writing and literature at institutions including Columbia University, Barnard College, New York University, and Hamline University’s MFA program in Writing for Children.