Katherine Marsh (1974-20??) grew up in a New York City suburb that was 29 minutes by train to Grand Central Terminal.... (see below for continuation of bio).

Frequently Asked Questions

(updated as of August 2011)

Will there be a third book in The Night Tourist series?

My plan is to write a third book and make the series into a trilogy. I know what happens at the end of this third book to Jack and Euri; I just need my publisher Disney/ Hyperion to let me write it. Unfortunately for you, tthey're keeping me busy with some fantastic but unrelated projects (see below). So, want a third book? Send them an email (childrens.marketing@disney.com) or a letter (Disney/ Hyperion 114 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10011)  telling them how much you love the series and demanding more!

What are you working on next?

My next book JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS comes out in Fall 2012. It's the story of a teenager who leaves home to take one of the oddest jobs you can imagine and uncovers a mystery about his past that threatens to seal his fate. Based on a real 17th century historical figure,this coming-of-age tale includes violence, love, astrology, astronomy, and even a beer-drinking moose. Have I made you curious? Check back later this year to learn more and catch a preview. In 2013, I return to the fantasy genre with a new take on...whoops, can't say anymore...stay tuned....

What's up with The Night Tourist movie?

Universal studios optioned The Night Tourist for a feature film but currently there are no plans to make it. We're hoping that the right team comes along to bring Jack and Euri's story to cinematic life (and to give me a cameo alongside that cute guy from Friday Night Lights).

Who is your favorite character in The Night Tourist books?

I think Euri would be pretty upset if I didn't choose her.

Why did you become a writer?

I'm pretty bad at most everything else (especially math and sports). I read a lot. I worry a lot. I can imagine some pretty crazy things happening to an ordinary person like me. I will never recover from being 14.

What are some of your favorite books?

Island of the Blue Dolphins, Walk Two Moons, The Book Thief, Octavian Nothing, The Graveyard Book, Harry Potter, the Pigeon Books by Mo Willems.

How did you come up with the idea for The Night Tourist books?

I used to take the train into Grand Central when I was a kid (see above). I am also an only child who growing up hung out with a lot of old people who told stories about the past. Death and ghosts just seemed a big part of life.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I think there is one in my bedroom closet who turns the light on when I get into bed so I have to get up and turn it off again. A poltergeist, maybe?

Katherine Marsh's Bio continued...

An only child of divorced parents, Katherine spent a lot of time reading, trading stories with her grandmother who had run a bar in New York, and talking--with her best middle school friend--to Truman Capote and other dead New Yorkers on a Ouija Board. In seventh grade, her mother convinced her to start taking Latin. An embarrassing translation error ended her Latin career three years later but the time she spent with magisters Ellis and Philips instilled in her a lifelong love of etymology and hatred of grammar.

After surviving high school, Katherine went to Yale where she studied English literature. Upon graduation, however, she discovered that openings for poets were scarce and took a job teaching ninth and twelfth grade English at not just any Connecticut boarding school but her alma mater. Having finally had enough of high school, in 1998, she left for New York City.

There, while living in a two-bedroom apartment in Soho with four people and a pinball machine, she began her career as a journalist. Her first job was at Good Housekeeping where she kept the messiest desk in the history of the magazine. She spent two years writing for Rolling Stone though not about music (so please don’t send her your garage band demo tapes) but about kids and their lives across the country. She also began writing about New York people and places for the City Section of The New York Times.

One day in 2000, she went on a blind date with a dashing reporter who a few years later lured her away to Washington, D.C. After many stages of grief, Katherine has come to realize that she can live happily in a city that is not New York. After working as an editor at the Washington City Paper and as managing editor of The New Republic magazine, Katherine finally took the plunge and became a full-time kid's writer/ observer of kids (her son Alek, and daughter, Natasha). She lives with her dashing reporter husband, Julian, Alek, Natasha, and their two cats, Egg and Scotty in Washington, D.C. (R.I.P. Amuse Bouche--Scotty's former fish.) But if you live in New York and keep your eyes peeled you may occasionally spot her back at one of her old haunts.

Upcoming Appearances!

I am not making any appearances this year due to a new baby and a forthcoming new book but if you have a question, request, or comment about my books, I always welcome correspondence--especially from young readers.

--Katherine Marsh