Hate U Give (Thomas) - Author Bio

Author Bio
• Birth—ca. 1987-88
• Where—Jackson, Mississippi, USA
• Education—B.F.A., Belhaven University
• Awards—Walter Dean Myers Grant
• Currently—lives in Jackson, Mississippi


Angie Thomas is an African-American author and former teen rapper. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, whose manuscript was the object of a 13-publishing-house bidding war, was released in 2016 by a HarperCollins young adult imprint. The book has received wide acclaim, starred reviews, and considered required reading by the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.

Thomas was raised, and still lives, in Jackson, Mississippi. From a young age, she was enthralled by stories and books. At the age of six, while out riding her bike, she was nearly trapped in the middle of gun fire. After that frightening experience, Angie turned to books and escaped into another world, soon using her own imagination to tell and write stories. Knowing budding talent when she saw it, her third grade teacher asked Angie to read one of her stories to the class every Friday after lunchtime.

Several years on, Thomas became a teen rapper—a proud achievement was a feature article about her in Right-On magazine. Thomas went on to graduate from Belhaven University where she studied creative writing. She won the very first Walter Dean Myers Grant, awarded in 2015 by We Need Diverse Books. (Adapted from various online sources, including the author's website.)