Anica Mrose Rissi

Anica Mrose Rissi is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for kids and teens, including the Anna, Banana chapter book series; the picture books Watch Out for Wolf!, The Teacher's Pet, and Love, Sophia on the Moon (winner of the 2021 Paterson Prize and the 2021 Maine Literary Award); the middle grade books Wishing Season and Hide and Don't Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories; and the YA novels Always Forever Maybe and Nobody Knows But You. Her essays have been published by The Writer magazine and The New York Times, and she plays fiddle in and writes lyrics for the band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves.

Rissi grew up in Maine and spent many years in New York City, where she worked as an executive editor in children's book publishing. She teaches in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts and offers interactive, engaging writing workshops and presentations, in person and online, for small and large groups of all ages. Rissi lives in Skillman, New Jersey, and Deer Isle, Maine, with her very good dog, Sweet Potato.