Emily Stewart

Before becoming a writer, Emily Stewart spent ten years teaching high school English in Chicago's public school system. Her experiences in the classroom gave her a deep appreciation for the resilience, humor, and authenticity of teenagers, qualities she strives to capture in her writing.

"High school is this incredible pressure cooker of emotions and experiences," Stewart says. "You're trying to figure out who you are while simultaneously performing that identity for others. It's intense and often absurd, which makes it perfect territory for comedy."

Stewart's debut YA novel, "The Adventures of Luba and Dalon," draws from the genuine voice she developed through years of listening to her students. The book balances laugh-out-loud comedy with thoughtful explorations of friendship, family expectations, and finding confidence in one's own voice.

"I believe humor is one of our most powerful tools for dealing with life's challenges," she explains. "If I can make a teenager laugh while also helping them feel less alone in their experiences, I've succeeded as a writer."

A graduate of Northwestern University's Creative Writing program, Stewart now lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner and their rescue dog, Comma. When not writing, she leads creative writing workshops for teens and volunteers with literacy organizations in underserved communities.