How to Write a Biography: A Live Q&A with Mark Oppenheimer
Fri, Feb 20 @ 1 pm ET: Save the date!
Biography is one of the most demanding forms of writing. It requires deep research, narrative skill, ethical judgment… and a number of other abilities, both literary and interpersonal, that I’m probably overlooking.
Thus, this Q&A…
On February 20th, I’ll be having a live conversation with Mark Oppenheimer, journalist, editor, and author of the highly anticipated new biography, Judy Blume: A Life.
One of the Washington Post’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026
One of the Next Big Idea Club’s Must-Read Titles of March 2026
One of W Magazine‘s Must-Read Nonfiction Books of 2026
One of Zibby Owens’s Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2026
One of Book Riot‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2026
One of LitHub‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2026
The conversation will focus on both the craft and the business of biography writing. We’ll cover topics such as:
What should aspiring biographers know about getting into this kind of work?
How do biographers choose subjects and pitch them to publishers?
What does access really look like when writing about a living person? And what happens if you lose it?
How do you research an entire life efficiently, i.e., without getting overwhelmed by a million events and details?
Are there ethical challenges unique to biography, and if so, how should a writer handle them?
As always, you are welcome (encouraged!) to ask your own questions.
While this conversation will be especially appealing to writers interested in biography and reported nonfiction, it will be useful to all writers, whatever the genre you favor.
👉 Learn more and RSVP here → How to Write a Literary Biography: Q&A with Mark Oppenheimer (author of Judy Blume: A Life)
🔒 This live Q&A is exclusively for paid and founding members of Author Insider.
I look forward to seeing you there,
Panio Gianopoulos
Editorial Director, Author Insider & The Next Big Idea Club
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