Bill Konigsberg is an American YA author recognized for his contributions to the LGBT genre. His works have garnered significant recognition, including the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Stonewall Book Award for The Porcupine of Truth in 2016.
Before becoming a novelist, Konigsberg worked as a sports writer and editor for The Associated Press and ESPN.com, where he gained attention for coming out with a groundbreaking article in 2001, which won him a GLAAD Media Award.
Through various media and publications, he has advocated for LGBT issues in sports.
In 2008, Konigsberg published Out of the Pocket, his first work of young adult fiction. His debut novel earned the Lambda Literary Award in 2009.
Following this, Openly Straight and its sequel, Honestly Ben, explored themes of identity and acceptance, receiving critical acclaim and multiple-starred reviews.
Openly Straight received the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor and was a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award and the Lambda Literary Award in 2014.
The Porcupine of Truth continued his exploration of complex themes and earned notable awards and recognitions.
In 2018, the National Council of Teachers of English’s Assembly on Literature for Adolescents established the Bill Konigsberg Award for Acts and Activism for Equity and Inclusion through Young Adult Literature, further solidifying his impact in the field.
A film adaptation has also been optioned for his The Music of What Happens (2019) and The Bridge (2020).
Bill Konigsberg lives in Phoenix with his husband and their Australian Labradoodles.
Photo credit: billkonigsberg.com
