Shannon Hale

In 2017, Hale released a graphic memoir entitled Real Friends, chronicling her struggles in grade school. It was illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Its sequel, Best Friends, appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for graphic books and manga in April 2020. In 2018, her Princess in Black series - which she wrote with her husband Dean Hale - made The New York Times Best Seller list for children's series. The two also co-wrote the graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge, as well as two young adult novels for the Marvel superheroes Squirrel Girl and Captain Marvel. Hale ventured further into science fiction with her own YA superhero novel, Dangerous, in 2014.

The Goose Girl became her first published novel after being met with nine rejections; Hale received an offer in 2003 from Bloomsbury Publishing. Hale based the book on her favorite fairy tale of the same name. It was named an ALA Teens' Top Ten and became the first of many novels in Hale's Books of Bayern series. Goose Girl also won the 2004 Josette Frank Award for fiction and was reprinted by Bloomsbury in 2017. Her novel Princess Academy was featured on The New York Times Best Seller list, as well as that of Book Sense and Publishers Weekly. It also received a Newbery Honor. Her first adult novel, Austenland, was also featured by Book Sense. Hale and screenwriter Jerusha Hess then wrote the screenplay for a film adaptation of Austenland, released in 2013 at the Sundance Film Festival. It was then bought by Sony Pictures for $4 million. Twilight author Stephenie Meyer produced the film and Keri Russell starred as protagonist Jane Hayes. In 2012 Hale released a sequel novel, Midnight in Austenland. Another adult novel, The Actor and the Housewife, was published in 2009 and was named "the City Weekly readers' choice winner for best novel of the year." Hale has kept numerous rejection letters she has received from publishers, and has compiled them into one 60 foot long scroll.

She attended the University of Utah, primarily majoring in both English and Theater before deciding solely to pursue the former. She served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paraguay for 18 months before graduating with a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1998. and a master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.

Shannon Hale (née Shannon Bryner; born January 26, 1974 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American author primarily of young adult fantasy, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Her first novel for adults, Austenland, was adapted into a film in 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Montana. She has also co-written with her husband, Dean.