Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas was born on September 20, 1988, in Jackson, Mississippi where she was raised.[1][2]

Thomas was subjected to multiple instances of gun violence at a young age. She grew up near the home of assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers, stating that her mother heard the gunshot that killed him.[3] When she was six years old, Thomas witnessed a shootout.

In an interview with The Guardian, she recounted how her mother took her to the library the following day to show her that "there was more to the world than what [Thomas] saw that day". This inspired her to take up writing.[4]

In her adolescence, Thomas shared her skills as a rapper, although her career in music was short-lived. She was, however, the subject of an article in Right On! magazine.[5][6] Thomas went on to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts[7] from Belhaven University.[8] She was the first black teenager to graduate from her creative writing course.[8]

Thomas' initial intention was to write fantasy and middle grade novels; however, she was worried that her stories would not matter. While querying her first manuscript, she began another that would soon turn out to be her first novel, The Hate U Give.[9] While she was a college student, one of her professors suggested that her experiences were unique and that her writing could give a voice to those who had been silenced and whose stories had not been told.[3] During this time, Thomas also heard about the shooting of Oscar Grant on the news.[4] This story, compounded by the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and Sandra Bland, was a major influence on the novel.[4]

Thomas cites Tupac Shakur as inspiration for her writing. She has felt a wide range of emotions when listening to his music, and wanted to achieve a similar effect as a writer, saying, "I want to make you think at times; I want to make you laugh at times; I want to make you cry at times – so he was an influence in that way." She has explained that the title The Hate U Give was inspired by Tupac's THUG LIFE tattoo, which was supposedly an acronym for "The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody." Thomas understands that to mean, "that what society feeds into youth has a way of coming back and affecting us all."[10]

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Thomas stated that she aims to "show truth and tear down stereotypes" in her writing, and further says that it is important for the white community to listen to the grievances of the Black Lives Matter movement. After its publication, The Hate U Give was adapted into a 2018 film of the same name by Fox 2000, starring Amandla Stenberg.[8][5]

In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Thomas gives insight on her role as an activist: "I've always seen writing as a form of activism. If nothing else, books give us a glimpse into lives that we may not have known about before; they can promote empathy. There is the movement Black Lives Matter and the organization Black Lives Matter, and I respect what both are doing. I know [The Hate U Give] is an 'issue' book, but I didn't necessarily want it to be that way... I wanted to make something that is so political seem personal. While I wanted Khalil to represent these young men who lose their lives and are quickly labeled thugs, I wanted [the plot of the book] to be its own thing. I didn't want to disrespect anyone's family, anyone's memory."[11]

In 2015, Thomas received We Need Diverse Books' Walter Grant,[22] which grants $2,000 to "unpublished authors or illustrators from diverse backgrounds working on children’s or young adult literature projects"[23]

The Junior Library Guild has selected the book and audiobook editions of The Hate U Give,[24][25] On the Come Up,[26][27] and Concrete Rose[28][29] for their collection.

The Hate U Give was a number one New York Times bestseller and IndieBound besteller.[15] The Horn Book Magazine,[30] Kirkus Reviews,[31] Publishers Weekly,[32] and Shelf Awareness,[33] among others, named it one of the best young adult novels of 2017. Booklist named it one of the best books of the year regardless of genre.[34]

On the Come Up was a New York Times bestseller.[15] The Horn Book Magazine[30] and Kirkus Reviews[15] named it one of the best young adult novels of 2019. Booklist included it on their 2019 "Top 10 Arts Books for Youth" list.[35]

Concrete Rose was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller.[18] Kirkus Reviews named it one of the best young adult novels of 2021.[18]

• Interview in You Can’t Say That! Writers for Young People Talk About Censorship, Free Expression, and the Stories They Have to Tell. Candlewick Press, 2021, a young adult non-fiction book about book censorship, edited by young adult author and literary critic Leonard S. Marcus. ISBN 9780763690366