Malla Nunn

Malla Nunn was born and raised in Swaziland. Her adult crime books have earned her two Edgar nominations and a RUSA Award for Best Mystery Novel. Her first young adult novel, When the Ground is Hard , won the L.A. Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and the Josette Frank Award for Children's Literature. After earning a master's degree in Theatre Studies, she dabbled in acting in New York City, worked as a cocktail waitress, a nanny, a bookseller, and on film sets, but never at the same...See more

Malla Nunn was born and raised in Swaziland. Her adult crime books have earned her two Edgar nominations and a RUSA Award for Best Mystery Novel. Her first young adult novel, When the Ground is Hard , won the L.A. Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and the Josette Frank Award for Children's Literature. After earning a master's degree in Theatre Studies, she dabbled in acting in New York City, worked as a cocktail waitress, a nanny, a bookseller, and on film sets, but never at the same time. She also made short films and an award-winning documentary, Servant of the Ancestors , before surrendering to her passion: writing books. She married in a traditional Swazi ceremony. Her bride price was eighteen cows. See less