Kate DiCamillo

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Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo (born March 25, 1964) is an American children's fiction author. She has published over 25 novels, including ''Because of Winn-Dixie'', ''The Tiger Rising'', ''The Tale of Despereaux'', ''The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'', ''The Magician's Elephant'', the ''Mercy Watson'' series, and ''Flora & Ulysses''. Her books have sold around 37 million copies. Four have been developed into films and two have been adapted into musical settings. Her works have won various awards; ''The Tale of Despereaux'' and ''Flora & Ulysses'' won the Newbery Medal, making DiCamillo one of six authors to have won two Newbery Medals.

Born in Philadelphia, DiCamillo moved to Clermont, Florida, as a child, where she grew up. She earned an English degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and spent several years working entry-level jobs in Clermont before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1994. In Minnesota, DiCamillo worked in a book warehouse and attempted to get a book published. Her first book to be accepted for publication was ''Because of Winn-Dixie'', which was critically and commercially successful. DiCamillo then left her job to become a full-time author.

From 2014 to 2015 DiCamillo was the American National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. She lives in Minneapolis and continues to write. Her next book, ''Orris and Timble: The Beginning'', will be published on April 30th, 2024.