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Michael Leali is an American writer and educator. His debut novel, The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, won the 2023 Golden Kite Award. His first and second novels were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature.

Early life and education

Leali was born and raised outside of Chicago.

He received a bachelor's degree in English secondary education and music from the University of Iowa in 2013, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in children's and young adult literature from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Career

Leali began his career working in marketing for the Oswegoland Park District; he was also the administrative director for the Limelight Theatre Company. He eventually was hired to teach English-related courses at Oswego High School. After teaching there for a few years, he changed positions regularly, including working with independent bookshops. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leali returned to teaching at Oswego High School.

Leali published his debut novel, The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, with HarperCollins in 2022. The following year, the book won the Golden Kite Award, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature. Leali's sophomore novel, Matteo, was published by HarperCollins in 2023. It was a finalist for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature. Leli's third novel, The Truth About Triangles was published by HarperCollins in 2024.

Awards and honors

In 2022, Booklist included The Civil War of Amos Abernathy on their list of the "Top 10 First Novels for Youth"; they also included it on their 2023 Rainbow List.

Personal life

Leali lives in San Francisco.

Publications

• The Civil War of Amos Abernathy. HarperCollins Children’s. 2022. ISBN 978-0-06-311986-4.
• Matteo. HarperCollins Children’s. 2023. ISBN 978-0-06-311991-8.
• The Truth About Triangles. HarperCollins Children’s. 2024. ISBN 978-0-06-311986-4.

References

1. ^ "Bio". Michael Leali. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
2. "The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali". Publishers Weekly. July 14, 2022. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
3. Cart, Michael (April 1, 2022). "The Civil War of Amos Abernathy". Booklist. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
4. ^ Beeck, Nathalie op de (February 25, 2023). "SCBWI Announces 2023 Golden Kite Awards". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
5. ^ Lewis, LeKesha (March 20, 2023). "Announcing the 35th Annual Lammy Awards Finalists". Lambda Literary. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
6. "Matteo by Michael Leali". Publishers Weekly. May 3, 2023. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
7. "Matteo". Kirkus Reviews. March 13, 2023. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
8. ^ "Announcing the Finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards". them. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
9. "The Truth About Triangles". Booklist. March 15, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
10. "The Truth About Triangles". Kirkus Reviews. March 9, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
11. Khuri, Ronny (November 1, 2022). "Top 10 First Novels for Youth: 2022". Booklist. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
12. "Rainbow List: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
13. "Awards: SCWI Golden Kite Winners". Shelf Awareness. March 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.

• 21st-century American male writers
• Golden Kite Award–winning works
• American children's writers
• Living people