Ibi Zoboi author page

Ibi Zoboi biography

Ibi Zoboi is a Haitian-American author known for her work in children’s and young adult literature. She was born in Haiti and moved to the United States as a child. Zoboi’s writing often explores themes of identity, culture, and belonging, drawing on her own experiences as an immigrant.

Her debut young adult novel, American Street, was published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins, in 2017. The novel tells the story of a Haitian teenager navigating life in Detroit after immigrating to the United States. American Street was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2017.

Zoboi has also written Pride (Balzer + Bray, 2018), a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set in Brooklyn. In addition to her novels, she has edited the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, published by Balzer + Bray in 2019, which features stories from a range of Black authors.

Her middle grade novel, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, was published by Dutton Books for Young Readers in 2019. Zoboi has also co-authored the young adult novel Punching the Air with Dr. Yusef Salaam, published by Balzer + Bray in 2020.

In 2017, American Street was named a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.