Daniel Nayeri

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Daniel Nayeri
Born
Khosrou Nayeri

Iran
EducationNew York University
RelativesDina Nayeri
Writing career
Notable worksEverything Sad Is Untrue, The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story
Notable awards
Websitewww.danielnayeri.com

Khosrou Nayeri,[1] known professionally as Daniel Nayeri, is an Iranian-American author whose works have earned the National Book Award and Newbery Honors.

Biography

Nayeri was born in Iran and fled the country with his sister Dina, and their mother, a doctor, after a fatwa had been issued against her.[2][3][4] They lived for three years in refugee camps in Dubai and Rome before settling in 1990—when Nayeri was eight years old—in Edmond, Oklahoma.[2][3] Nayeri attended Edmond Memorial High School, and New York University, where he studied writing.[3]

Nayeri was publisher of Odd Dot, a children's publishing group at Macmillan Publishers, before leaving in 2020 to pursue full-time writing.[5]

Nayeri lives with his wife and son in New Jersey.[3]

Works

Daniel Nayeri at the 2025 National Book Awards

Nayeri's printed works include:[6]

Awards

In 2020, Everything Sad Is Untrue received a Michael L. Printz Award for best book written for teens,[7] and was one of two honorees in the younger readers category for a Walter Dean Myers Award.[8] In 2021, the book received a Christopher Award in the young adult category,[9] and was a finalist for an Audie Award for Young Adult Title.[10] In 2023, the book was nominated for a Young Reader's Choice Award.[11]

Everything Sad Is Untrue was listed as one of the best children's books of 2020 by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Today, and Booklist Editors' Choice.[12][13][14][15]

In 2024, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams was selected as a Newbery Honor book.[16]

In 2025, The Teacher of Nomad Land won the National Book Award in the category Young People's Literature. [17] It was named a Newbery Honor book in January 2026.[18]

This Is a Door is a Finalist for the 2026 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature.[19]

References

  1. "TeachingBooks Audio Name Pronunciation | Daniel Nayeri". school.teachingbooks.net. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
  2. Culver, Galen (September 4, 2020). "'Everything Sad is Untrue' – What it was like for an Iranian refugee to grow up in Oklahoma". KFOR.
  3. Murdock Nichols, Maggie (July 18, 2023). "Everything Sad is Untrue: Growing up as an Iranian refugee in Edmond". Nondoc. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  4. Nayeri, Dina (June 18, 2017). "My Father, in Four Visits over Thirty Years". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023.
  5. Kantor, Emma (February 25, 2021). "Nathalie Le Du Named Publisher of Odd Dot as Daniel Nayeri Departs". Publishers Weekly.
  6. "Daniel Nayeri". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  7. Kirch, Claire (January 26, 2021). "Daniel Nayeri: Celebrating with a Champagne Shower". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  8. Zeng, Cady (Jan 21, 2021). "Walter Dean Myers Awards Announced". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023.
  9. "'The Way Back,' 'Pray,' Dolly Parton special win Christopher Awards". Catholic Review. April 26, 2021. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  10. "2021 Audie Awards". Audio Publishers Association. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  11. "YRCA 2023 Nominees". Pacific Northwest Library Association. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  12. "The 25 Best Children's Books of 2020". The New York Times. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  13. Cox Gurdon, Meghan (December 10, 2020). "The Best Books of 2020: Children's Books". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  14. Tolin, Lisa (December 11, 2020). "25 of our favorite books for kids, tweens and teens in 2020". Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  15. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2020". Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  16. Roback, Diane; Kantor, Emma; Jones |, Iyana. "Eggers, Harrison, King Win 2024 Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-30. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2025-11-26. Retrieved 2025-11-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "American Library Association announces 2026 Youth Media Award winners". ALA.org. January 26, 2026. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  19. "Finalists for the 2026 Kirkus Prize Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-08-25.