“This absorbing, appealing narrative is equal parts funny, romantic, and affirming. Romantic comedy that celebrates being yourself on your own terms.” — Kirkus Reviews

Camryn Garrett is an NAACP Image Award-nominated author and filmmaker. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received rave reviews from outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, the Today Show, and The Guardian, which called it “warm, funny and thoughtfully sex-positive, an impressive debut from a writer still in her teens.” Her second novel, Off the Record, received three starred reviews. Her third novel, Friday I’m in Love, was an IndieNext Pick and received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Forgotten Summer of Seneca, will be published by Abrams in 2025. Her work has been translated into 9 languages. Camryn is also interested in filmmaking and has written and directed several short films. You can find her on Twitter @dancingofpens, tweeting (too much) from a laptop named Stevie.

Camryn's Featured Titles

The Forgotten Summer of Seneca: A Novel

Amulet Books |
Middle Grade

From acclaimed author Camryn Garrett comes a middle-grade mystery with a magical twist, about a girl who goes to live with her aunt in the summer after the loss of her father—and who finds a doorway in Central Park that leads to a magically preserved historical village

Everything is changing, and twelve-year-old Rowan Robinson hates it. She’s dreading having to spend her summer in New York City with her Aunt Monica, even though she used to love it. But things are just different after her father passed away. Without him, nothing about her world feels the same.

Things start to get a little better when Rowan brings her dad’s old camera to Central Park to take pictures. But as she’s snapping photos, she notices a strange mirror-like shape floating in the air. When she gets closer to it, she trips and falls through the portal, and after she lands, she finds herself in a different world: Seneca Village, where Black people with magical abilities seem to live in the past, in a time without phones or electricity. At first, Rowan thinks it must be a dream, but the more time she spends in the village with her new friend Lily, the more she wants it to be real.

But outsiders aren’t even supposed to be able to find Seneca. Rowan and Lily aren’t sure how Rowan was able to see the portal, but they suspect it might have something to do with the girl who normally guards the portal having gone missing. As Rowan and Lily search for clues to help find the missing girl and uncover the truth of the portal’s magic, Rowan begins to realize what secrets this village might be hiding, and how the events of the past still linger in the present day.

Filled with sparkling magic, honest explorations of grief, and moving depictions of a new friendship, The Forgotten Summer of Seneca asks us to remember a history that’s often overlooked—and imagine a future where we’re brave enough to embrace change.

Friday I’m in Love

Knopf Books for Young Readers |
Young Adult Fiction

It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if Mahalia had a coming-out party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, Black joy, and queer pride.

A perfect ode to romantic comedies, wrapped in a dazzling rainbow dress.” —Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl

Mahalia Harris wants.

She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend, Naomi.
She wants the super-cute new girl Siobhan to like her back.
She wants a break from worrying—about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.

Then inspiration strikes: It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a coming-out party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms.

The idea lights a fire beneath her, and soon Mahalia is scrimping and saving, taking on extra hours at her afterschool job, trying on dresses, and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the coming out of her dreams. But it’s not long before she’s buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia’s party be over before it’s even begun?

A novel about finding yourself, falling in love, and celebrating what makes you you.

Mahalia’s story lives, breathes and glows. I’m in love with it every day of the week!” —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda

Off the Record

Knopf Books for Young Readers |
Young Adult Fiction

The behind-the-scenes access of Almost Famous meets the searing revelations of metoo in this story of a teen journalist who uncovers the scandal of the decade.

Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire. So when she wins a contest to write a celebrity profile for Deep Focus magazine, she’s equal parts excited and scared, but also ready. She’s got this.

Soon Josie is jetting off on a multi-city tour, rubbing elbows with sparkly celebrities, frenetic handlers, stone-faced producers, and eccentric stylists. She even finds herself catching feelings for the subject of her profile, dazzling young newcomer Marius Canet. Josie’s world is expanding so rapidly, she doesn’t know whether she’s flying or falling. But when a young actress lets her in on a terrible secret, the answer is clear: she’s in over her head.

One woman’s account leads to another and another. Josie wants to expose the man responsible, but she’s reluctant to speak up, unsure if this is her story to tell. What if she lets down the women who have entrusted her with their stories? What if this ends her writing career before it even begins? There are so many reasons not to go ahead, but if Josie doesn’t step up, who will?

From the author of Full Disclosure, this is a moving testament to the MeToo movement, and all the ways women stand up for each other.

“Brave, necessary, and unflinchingly real, Off the Record is an instant classic.” –Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends

Full Disclosure

Knopf Books for Young Readers |
Young Adult Fiction
“An unflinchingly honest, eye-opening, heartful story that’s sure to keep readers talking.” –Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up

“Romantic, funny, hopeful, and unflinchingly real.” –Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon Vs. The Homosapiens Agenda

The uplifting story of an HIV-positive teen, falling in love and learning to live her truth.Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.

Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.

Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on. . . .

Full Disclosure is such a joy to read.” –Erika Sanchez, National Book Award finalist for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

“A big-hearted love letter to inclusivity, bravery, and acceptance, Full Disclosure is a wonder of a book.” –Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

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Writing as a Teen: What You Need to Know

This talk covers Camryn’s publishing journey, which started at age 13.

Camryn will discuss what she learned about herself and her relationship to writing as a young person and what advice she would give to other young people interested in writing.

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How YA Literature Combats Stigma

In this talk, Camryn covers why she became a writer. She’ll discuss the stigma surrounding HIV that she hoped to combat with her first book, Full Disclosure, and what stereotypes her second book, Off the Record, deconstructs via it’s main character.

Talk includes a reading from Full Disclosure

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What Makes An Identity?

This talk focuses on Camryn’s book Off the Record, centering on the many aspects of the main character’s identity. She’ll discuss why characters that reflect marginalized identity are important.

Talk includes a reading from Off the Record

Camryn’s Other Writing

Camryn’s News

Camryn’s FAQ

Camryn’s Hometown Book Store | Order Signed Books!

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Nominated for an NCAAP Award for Outstanding Youth/Teens
Indie Next Pick
BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
One of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21
Glamour College Woman of the Year

Media clips

Them | Sapphic Literature Is on the Rise. Hopefully, It’s More Than Just a Trend

NBC News | 7 YA novels featuring strong, vulnerable, unique Black girls coming in 2021

Kirkus | Extra! Extra! Camryn Garrett Breaks News

Publisher’s Weekly | Q & A with Camryn Garrett

Shondaland | Camryn Garrett’s ‘Off the Record’ Wants to Humanize Black Women’s Experiences

Bustle | This YA Author’s New Book Asks: What Do We Do With Good Art By Bad People?

Essence Girls United | Camryn Garrett Addresses The #MeToo Movement From Gen Z’s Perspective In Her Latest Book

HerCampus | 21-Year-Old Author Camryn Garrett on Her Newest Novel ‘Off the Record,’ the Importance of Representation, & Writing for Yourself First

We Need Diverse Books | Q&A With Camryn Garrett, Off the Record

Culturess | Author Camryn Garrett on Off the Record, #MeToo and the power of using your voice

FirstDraft Podcast | Gap Year of Writing with Camryn Garrett

Shondaland | I Never Saw Myself in Books — So I Wrote the Girl I’ve Always Needed to See by Camryn Garrett

Shondaland | “What First-Time Author Camryn Garrett’s Debut Novel Teaches Teens About Living With HIV”

Frolic | “I started wondering about how the adoption process for HIV positive children”

Brazos Bookstore | “Cassie Interviews Camryn Garrett, author of FULL DISCLOSURE”

NYU Tisch | “Camryn Garrett’s Debut is a Sex-Positive Novel About HIV For a New Generation”

Barnes and Noble Blog | “Get to Know a YA Author: Camryn Garrett”

MadamNoire | “Camryn Garrett Talks New Novel Full Disclosure, Ending HIV Stigma & What It Means To Be A Sex-Positive Teen”

Zora | “My Young Adult Novel Was Created to Change the Narrative Around HIV/AIDS” by Camryn Garrett

Bustle | “Start Reading ‘Full Disclosure’ By Camryn Garrett Right Now”

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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