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Leila Mottley

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Leila Mottley
Born2002 (age 21–22)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Alma materSmith College
Notable worksNightcrawling

Leila Mottley (born 2002) is an American novelist and poet.[1] She is The New York Times bestselling author of Nightcrawling, which was a nominated for numerous awards, including the Booker Prize, making her the youngest author to have been nominated for the award. In 2018, at age 16, she was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, California.

Early life

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Mottley was born and raised in Oakland, California,[2] where she continues to reside.[3] She began attending Smith College in 2019 and is currently on indefinite leave to pursue writing.[4]

Career

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Mottley was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, California in 2018 at age 16,[2] having served the prior year as Vice Youth Poet Laureate.[5] Her poetry has appeared in The New York Times.[6]

Mottley co-wrote and starred in a documentary short, When I Write It, an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020.[7]

In June 2022, Mottley published her first novel, Nightcrawling,[8] which she began writing at age 16.[9] She wrote the original version during the summer of 2019, shortly after completing her high school education. At the time, she was employed as a substitute preschool teacher.[10][11][12][13]

In 2024, Leila Mottley published her first poetry collection, woke up no light.[14]

Awards and honors

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In 2018, at the age of 16, Mottley was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, California,[2] having served the prior year as Vice Youth Poet Laureate.[5][15]

Her debut novel, Nightcrawling, was a New York Times Best Seller[16] and an Oprah's Book Club pick in June 2022.[17] AudioFile included it on their list of the best audiobooks of 2022.[18]

Awards for Mottley's writing
Year Title Award Categ Result Ref.
2022 Nightcrawling Booker Prize — Longlist [9][19][20]
Booklist Editors' Choice Adult Books for Young Adults Selection [21]
Goodreads Choice Award Fiction Nominee [22]
Debut Novel Nominee [22]
2023 Audie Award Female Narrator Finalist [23]
Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Debut Fiction Nominee [24]
Lambda Literary Award Lesbian Fiction Finalist [25]
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award Josephine Miles Award Winner [citation needed]

Selected publications

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References

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  1. ^ Pineda, Dorany (7 June 2022). "'I have a lot of time': Oakland poet-novelist phenom Leila Mottley, 19, has just begun". LA Times. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Brandon Yu (June 6, 2022). "Oakland's Leila Mottley making major splash with searing debut novel 'Nightcrawling'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  3. ^ "Five Things to Know About Leila Mottley". Oprah Daily. 11 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  4. ^ "'I have a lot of time': Oakland poet-novelist phenom Leila Mottley, 19, has just begun". Los Angeles Times. 2022-06-07. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  5. ^ a b "Leila Mottley '23: Finding Her Voice Through Poetry". Post News Group. Oakland Post. 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Young Black Poets". New York Times. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  7. ^ "2020 Official Selection: Shorts". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Oprah's latest book club pick: 'Nightcrawling,' by Leila Mottley". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Awards: Booker Longlist". Shelf Awareness. 2022-07-27. Archived from the original on 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  10. ^ Egan, Elisabeth (30 June 2022). "Leila Mottley Graduated From High School and Wrote a Novel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  11. ^ Armitstead, Claire; @carmitstead (2022-06-05). "Teenager Leila Mottley on writing her debut novel: 'I've always done things at a warp speed'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  12. ^ "Young Oakland author Leila Mottley makes a splash with debut novel 'Nightcrawling'". KRON4. 2022-09-02. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  13. ^ "Leila Mottley's Novel Explores What Justice Means for Black Girls". Teen Vogue. 2022-06-07. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  14. ^ "woke up no light". Leila Mottley Official.
  15. ^ "'I have a lot of time': Oakland poet-novelist phenom Leila Mottley, 19, has just begun". Los Angeles Times. 2022-06-07. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  16. ^ "Leila Mottley Graduated From High School and Wrote a Novel". The New York Times. 2022-06-30. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  17. ^ "Oprah's Book Club Pick: Nightcrawling". Shelf Awareness. 2022-06-08. Archived from the original on 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  18. ^ Milliot, Jim (2022-12-01). "'AudioFile' Magazine's Best Audiobooks of 2022". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  19. ^ "Leila Mottley interview: 'There's never a wrong age to tell the story that is aching inside of you'". The Booker Prizes. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  20. ^ Nawotka, Ed (2022-07-26). "Six Americans Make the Booker Prize Longlist". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  21. ^ "Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books for Young Adults, 2022". Booklist. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  22. ^ a b "Nightcrawling". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  23. ^ "2023 Audie Award Winners". Audio Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  24. ^ Ali-Coleman, Khadijah Z. (2023-06-28). "2023 Legacy Awards Nominees". Hurston/Wright Foundation. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  25. ^ "2023 Lambda Award Shortlist Finalists Announced". BOOK RIOT. 2023-03-15. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
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