Peng Shepherd

Peng Shepherd (born May 12, 1986) is an American author. Her first novel, The Book of M, was released in 2018, followed by The Future Library in 2021 and The Cartographers in 2022. She is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow.

Early life and education Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, a daughter of Lin Sue Cooney, a retired news anchor at Phoenix TV station KPNX. Peng earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Arizona State University in 2006. From New York University, she received her MFA in Creative Writing in 2014, where she was a Stein Fellow and a Veterans Fellow, in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Literary career Her debut novel, The Book of M, a dystopian fantasy, was published by HarperCollins in 2018, and received mainly favorable reviews. Per The Hollywood Reporter, The Book of M was optioned for screen adaptation on television by Elizabeth Sarnoff from Universal Content Productions.

Her other works have been noted and reviewed by various publications and literary critics, including The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Sun Sentinel, The Guardian, and Chicago Tribune, among others. Vivian Shaw, the editor from the Washington Post, wrote about The Cartographers in her book review: "Shepherd, also the author of The Book of M, nails the sense of deep-seated, profound connection and love between a small group of people drawn together by shared experience and interest, creating an intense familial bond."

Award YearTitleAwardCategoryPlaceRef 2018 The Book of M Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy 2022The Future Library Ignyte Award Novelette Utopia Utopian Novelette The Cartographers Los Angeles Times Book Prize Mystery/Thriller