Leigh Bardugo biography

Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling American fantasy author and the creator of the expansive fictional universe known as the Grishaverse.

Born in Jerusalem in 1975, Bardugo grew up in Los Angeles and is an alumna of Yale University, where she graduated with a degree in English. Notably, she was a member of the Wolf's Head secret society while attending Yale. Before achieving literary success, her professional life included working in copywriting, journalism, and as a makeup and special effects artist in Hollywood.

Bardugo's career took off with her debut novel, Shadow and Bone, published in 2012. This book introduced the Grishaverse, a fantasy world inspired by early 19th-century Czarist Russia, often described as "Tsarpunk." The Grishaverse grew to include the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, the popular Six of Crows duology (a magical heist series), and the King of Scars duology, all of which have since been adapted into a Netflix original series.

In 2019, Bardugo transitioned to writing for an adult audience with Ninth House, a paranormal fantasy novel set at Yale that explores dark magic and secret societies. This novel won the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy, and its sequel is Hell Bent. Bardugo continues to live in Los Angeles and is an Associate Fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale.

Her work is celebrated for its intricate world-building, morally gray characters, and willingness to explore themes of power, privilege, and personal trauma. Bardugo has also been open about living with osteonecrosis, which partially inspired the creation of the character Kaz Brekker in the Six of Crows duology.

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