Award Winning Writer Libba Bray

Libba Bray was born Martha E. Bray on March 11, 1964 in Alabama. Her father was a Presbyterian minister. In the words of Ms. Bray herself, "Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.'s - Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid." She grew up in Texas until she was 26 years old when she moved to New York.

Bray attended University of Texas Austin, graduating in 1988 with a degree in theatre and high hopes of a playwriting career. Out of college, Bray worked at Penguin Putnam in New York in the publicity department, followed by a stint at Spier, an advertisting agency that specialized in book publication. She finally signed on with Simon and Schuster, where she published her beloved trilogy.

When she was eighteen, Bray was in a life-threatening car accident. She had to have thirteen surgeries in six years to fix all of the damage. Because of the accident, she now has a fake left eye.

Libba Bray is married to a children’s book agent, Barry Goldblatt. The couple were quite in love but quite out of money, so they eloped to Florence, Italy and were married there. According to her official site, Bray and her future husband had to pull someone off of the street to be their witness. She currently lives in New York with Barry and their nine-year-old son.

Fast Facts About Libba Bray:

Her Three Worst Habits: overeating, self-doubt, and using the “f word” too much

Her Three Best Traits: sense of humor, ability to listen, imagination

Favorite Word: redemption

Least Favorite Word: maybe

Favorite Movies: All About Eve, Brazil, Blade Runner, Spinal Tap, Citizen Kane, Harold and Maude, To Kill a Mockingbird, Singin’ in the Rain, Wizard of Oz

Favorite Y.A. Books: Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tithe, 33 Snowfish, Lord of the Flies, Whale Talk, Love and Chocolate, Speak

Fun Family Facts: She is related to Davy Crockett on her mother’s side, her great-great-great grandmother was supposedly a psychic who could speak to dead people.

Publications

Her first book was A Great and Terrible Beauty, making the New York Time Best Sellers List. She followed up this exciting tale of intrigue in a late 1800’s all-girls school in London, with two sequels to the book, Rebel Angels and A Sweet Far Thing. She is currently working on a book entitled Going Bovine, about a young man with mad cow disease.

For more information about Libba Bray, see her official website or her livejournal.

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