Leah Johnson (writer)

Johnson was raised on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana.[1][3] She was an avid reader from childhood.[3] Johnson went on to be the editor-in-chief of her high school's newspaper as well as a tennis player and a member of the show and concert choirs.[3][4] While in college at Indiana University Bloomington, she interned at the Wall Street Journal, WFIU, and WPLN.[3][5] Johnson received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College.[4]

Johnson began the manuscript for her debut novel You Should See Me in a Crown in 2018 as a graduate student at Sarah Lawrence College.[1] After publishing an Electric Literature essay about the dearth of diverse YA literature, editor Sarah Landis reached out to help her craft a book proposal.[5] You Should See Me in a Crown centers a Black queer teenager who runs for Prom Queen to win a college scholarship.[2] Johnson described the book as "very much an homage to the work that I love the most...John Hughes movies of the eighties, the teen romantic comedies of the late '90s, early aughts... I love those stories so much and wanted to see someone like me reflected in them as more than a sidekick."[2] Published in 2020 by Scholastic, the book received critical acclaim.[3] It received a Stonewall Book honor and was selected as Reese Witherspoon's first YA book of the month, among other accolades.[1][6] You Should See Me in a Crown was among over 729 books that were banned or challenged in 2021.[7]

Her second novel Rise to the Sun (Scholastic) was released on July 6, 2021.[8] The book is about "two girls named Toni and Olivia who both go to a music festival and search for two very different things."[3] In a starred review Publishers Weekly described the book: "Here, Johnson pens a love letter to the healing power of music, enduring friendship, summertime love stories, and hard-won resilience."[9]

Her middle grade debut, Ellie Engle Saves Herself!, was published on May 2, 2023 under Disney-Hyperion.[10] The book follows a young girl who discovers she has an amazing superpower.[11] Kirkus Reviews stated in a positive review, "This fast-paced, humorous novel will have readers racing to the end as they fall in love with Ellie’s quirky and authentic personality. Johnson deftly explores identity and responsibility to ourselves and others in this joyful coming-of-age story."[10]

In June 2023, Johnson announced plans to open Loudmouth Books, an independent bookshop dedicated to "highlighting banned books and uplifting the work of marginalized authors."[12] A GoFundMe campaign to support the store's start-up costs raised $16,570 toward its goal of $10,000.[13]

Johnson resides in Indianapolis.[13] She identifies as queer, and came to accept her sexuality while writing her debut novel You Should See Me In A Crown.[1]

• You Should See Me in a Crown. United States, Scholastic Inc ISBN 978-1-338-50326-5, 2 June 2020, print and digital
• Rise to the Sun. United States, Scholastic ISBN 978-1-338-66223-8, 6 July 2021, print and digital
• Ellie Engle Saves Herself!. United States, Disney-Hyperion ISBN 978-1-368-08555-7 2 May 2023, print and digital

For You Should See Me in a Crown

• 2021 Stonewall Book Award Honor[14]
• Time 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time[14]

• Official website