Lauren James

Lauren James is the Carnegie-longlisted British author of many Young Adult novels, including Green Rising, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker, and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. Her books have sold over two hundred thousand copies worldwide in seven languages.

Lauren James graduated from the University of Nottingham, where she studied chemistry and physics.

"I wanted to do something science-based, because I really enjoyed science, but I was scared that I wasn't clever enough or good enough, particularly because when you watch movies, characters who are scientists are portrayed as geniuses.

When I started writing, it was important for me to correct that image, and show science as something that’s approachable, particularly for women." she said.

James is an Arts Council grant recipient and was longlisted for the 2016 Branford Boase Award for her debut novel, The Next Together.

Her The Quiet at the End of the World (2019) was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and STEAM Children’s Book Award. It also was a Finalist in the National Cyber Awards 2021 for Book of the Year.

In 2020, Lauren James founded the Climate Fiction Writers League and became a member of the Society of Authors’ Sustainability Committee. She works as a consultant on climate storytelling for museums, production companies, major brands, and publishers. She runs a Queer Writers group in Coventry.

Lauren James is an RLF Royal Fellow at Aston University and the story consultant on Netflix’s Heartstopper (Seasons 2 and 3). She has taught creative writing for Coventry University, WriteMentor, and Writing West Midlands.

Her next release is Last Seen Online, scheduled for publication in the summer of 2024.

Lauren James lives in the West Midlands in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Michael White Photography