Siobhan Vivian

{{Infobox writer

| name = Siobhan Vivian

| image = Siobhan Vivian 2016.jpg

| caption = Vivian at the 2016 Texas Book Festival

| birth_name = Siobhan Vivian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|1|12|mf=y}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| occupation = Novelist

| nationality = American

| education = Rutherford High School
University of the Arts
The New School (MFA)

| period = 2008–present

| genre = Realistic fiction

| subject = Young adult literature

| children = 2

| website = {{URL|http://www.siobhanvivian.com/}}

}}

Siobhan Vivian (born January 12, 1979) is a bestselling American novelist, editor, and screenwriter.

Early life and education

Siobhan Vivian was born in New York City on January 12, 1979. At a young age, Vivian moved to Rutherford, New Jersey where she went to school and often got in trouble for sneaking out and not doing her homework.{{cite web|url=http://www.siobhanvivian.com/biography/|title=BIOGRAPHY|website=Siobhan Vivian|access-date=25 May 2018}} A 1997 graduate of Rutherford High School, Vivian has used her childhood in Rutherford as a "deep well" of ideas for her work.Speiser, Matt. [http://rutherford.dailyvoice.com/neighbors/rutherford-upbringing-inspires-young-author/652810/ "Rutherford Upbringing Inspires Young Author"], Rutherford Daily Voice, April 21, 2016. Accessed November 18, 2017. "If you graduated Rutherford High School with Siobhan Vivian in 1997, you might find yourself as a character in one of her books.The author, who is about to publish her eighth young adult book, says her Rutherford upbringing serves as a 'deep well' of inspiration that she returns to time and time again."

Vivian moved to Philadelphia after high school where she attended the University of the Arts and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Writing for Film and Television.{{cite web |url=http://uarts.edu/news/2014/02/alumnas-book-optioned-mtv-series |title=Alumna's Book Optioned for MTV Series | the University of the Arts |website=uarts.edu |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806184137/http://uarts.edu/news/2014/02/alumnas-book-optioned-mtv-series |archive-date=6 August 2014 |url-status=dead}} Vivian then moved back to New York City where she earned an MFA in Creative Writing: Children's Literature from The New School.{{cite web|url=http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Siobhan-Vivian/84455487|title=Siobhan Vivian|website=Simon & Schuster|access-date=25 May 2018}} It was while in graduate school that Vivian met fellow authors Morgan Matson and Jenny Han,{{cite web |url=http://witandfancy.com/2012/06/02/summer-lovin-tour-an-event-with-jenny-han-jessi-kirby-and-morgan-matson/ |title=Summer Lovin' Tour: An Event with Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson – Wit & Fancy |website=witandfancy.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406190846/http://witandfancy.com/2012/06/02/summer-lovin-tour-an-event-with-jenny-han-jessi-kirby-and-morgan-matson/ |archive-date=6 April 2015 |url-status=dead}} the latter of which she would go on to cowrite the Burn for Burn Trilogy with.{{cite web|url=http://parade.com/65102/sonacharaipotra/fire-with-fire-authors-jenny-han-siobhan-vivian-share-secrets-to-successful-collaboration/|title=Fire with Fire Authors Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian Share Secrets to Successful Collaboration|first=Sona|last=Charaipotra|date=16 August 2013|access-date=25 May 2018}}

Career

After college, Vivian worked as an editor at Alloy Entertainment where she worked on a number of New York Times Bestselling Series and also was the screenwriter for Playhouse Disney's Little Einsteins.{{cite web|url=http://www.childrenslit.pitt.edu/person/siobhan-vivian|title=Siobhan Vivian - Children's Literature - University of Pittsburgh|first=University of Pittsburgh University Marketing Communications|last=Webteam|website=www.childrenslit.pitt.edu|access-date=25 May 2018}}

In 2008, Vivian's first book, A Little Friendly Advice, was released and was shortly followed by a picture book she cowrote with J. Otto Seibold titled Vunce Upon A Time. Vivian's next book, Same Difference, which was published in 2009, garnered Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year as well as 2012 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults. Both of these awards were also awarded to her next book, Not That Kind of Girl, along with a Caroline W. Field Award Nomination. Her most recent solo book, The List, inspired by true events at a high school in New Jersey, was published in 2012 and earned the ALA 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults, was a Junior Library Guild Selection,{{cite web|url=http://www.siobhanvivian.com/books|title=Stay Sweet|website=Siobhan Vivian|access-date=25 May 2018}} and was a best seller in France. The novel was also optioned by MTV with Stephen Chbosky as executive producer. All of Vivian's individually written books were published by Push, an imprint of Scholastic.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bgagency.it/Site/Pages/Document.aspx?document=419 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-07-13 |archive-date=2015-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713181937/http://www.bgagency.it/Site/Pages/Document.aspx?document=419 |url-status=dead }}

In 2012, Vivian also published Burn for Burn the first book in the Burn for Burn Trilogy with fellow young adult author, Jenny Han. The following two books were published each following year. Vivian's most recent novel, The Last Boy and Girl in the World, was released in April 2016.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/29/cover-reveal-siobhan-vivians-last-boy-and-girl-world-exclusive|title=See the cover for Siobhan Vivian's 'The Last Boy and Girl in the World' -- exclusive|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=25 May 2018}}

In the June 19, 2016 edition of the New York Times Book Review, Vivian placed at number 2 in the Young Adult E-book category for The List.{{cite news|last=Dennard |first=Susan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/young-adult-e-book/?module=DropDownNav&action=click®ion=navbar&contentCollection=Books&version=Childrens&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsection%2Fbooks%2Freview&pgtype=Reference |title=Young Adult E-Book Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times |work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-05-25}}

In November 2019, Vivian faced criticism for her tweets regarding Brooke Nelson, a college student who was mentioned in her local newspaper as saying she thought that author Sarah Dessen's YA novels were not suitable for the Common Read program run by Northern State University, Aberdeen.{{Cite news|url=https://www.aberdeennews.com/news/common-read-hits-years-at-northern/article_058790e6-00ab-11ea-9449-5bac5966e4b6.html|title=Common Read hits 10 years at Northern|date=12 November 2019|work=Aberdeen News|access-date=23 November 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/sarah-dessen-ya-books-authors-brooke-nelson-social-media-attack.html|title=The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting into|date=15 November 2019}} When the story was reported in Jezebel,{{Cite web|url=https://jezebel.com/bestselling-authors-band-together-to-dunk-on-a-college-1839832467|title=Bestselling Authors Band Together to Dunk on a College Student|website=Jezebel|date=13 November 2019 }} The Guardian,{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/15/ya-novelist-fans-go-after-critical-reader-sarah-dessen-twitter|title=War of words breaks out after YA novelist's fans go after critical reader|date=15 November 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=23 November 2019}} the Washington Post,{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/15/sarah-dessen-south-dakota-college-student-ya-novel-backlash-twitter/|title=A student opposed a YA novel for mandatory college reading. The backlash from famous authors was fierce.|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=23 November 2019}} and Slate,{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/sarah-dessen-ya-books-authors-brooke-nelson-social-media-attack.html|title=The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into|last=Graham|first=Ruth|date=2019-11-15|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-11-23}} Vivian reportedly regretted her actions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/famous-authors-drag-student-in-ya-twitter-controversy.html|title=The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into|last=Graham|first=Ruth|date=2019-11-15|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-11-23}}

Personal life

She currently resides in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/10/30/The-Entrepreneurs-1/stories/201410300097|title=The Entrepreneurs: Pittsburgh artists thrive on networking with peers|access-date=25 May 2018}} with her husband, designer Nick Caruso, and their daughters, Vivian{{cite web|url=http://hellogiggles.com/fire-with-fire-and-an-interview-with-jenny-han-and-siobhan-vivian/|title='Fire With Fire' And An Interview With Jenny Han And Siobhan Vivian!|date=17 August 2013 |access-date=25 May 2018}} (born 2013) and Marie (born 2015).{{cite web|url=http://www.kidsburgh.org/features/8-questions-local-teen-lit-author-siobhan-vivian|title=Pittsburgh teen lit writer Siobhan Vivian|date=22 April 2016|access-date=25 May 2018}} Additionally, Vivian is a professor of creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.{{cite web|url=http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/siobhan-vivian|title=Siobhan Vivian Books, Author Biography, and Reading Level - Scholastic|website=www.scholastic.com|access-date=25 May 2018}}