Nathan Hill (writer)

Nathan Hill (born 1975) is an American fiction writer and former news reporter. He won the 2016 Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for his novel The Nix.

In September 2023, his novel Wellness was selected by Oprah Winfrey as a selection for her Oprah's Book Club 2.0.

Early life and education

Hill was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1975, where his grandparents had worked as corn, soybean and cattle farmers. He grew up in places all over the Midwest because his father was transferred as part of his job. His family moved constantly when he was growing up — around Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas — as his father worked his way up through management at Kmart.

He attended the University of Iowa, intending to study biomedical engineering. He switched to a major in English and journalism when he realized he could take classes in creative writing. He was a reporter on The Daily Iowan. He graduated in 1999.

Career

Hill became a reporter for The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He appreciated the discipline of writing and editing for a newspaper. After two years in Cedar Rapids, he pursued a master of fine arts (MFA) at University of Massachusetts–Amherst. His first novel required extensive research, which his journalism work prepared him.

He moved to New York City in his twenties to gain a place in the literary world. After years of rejections from publishers for his short stories, he took a break and played video games. He spent 10 years writing his first novel, which was published in 2016 to acclaim. There were competitions for the rights to publish it in other countries.

He travelled across the world to give talks about the first novel, taking time from his paying job as a professor at the University of South Florida, which he quit.

His second novel, Wellness, was published in 2023, and was widely reviewed as a satire on modern life.

He continues to write articles as a journalist for various outlets, even after he has published his second novel.

Bibliography

Novels

• The Nix (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016, ISBN 978-1101946619)
• Wellness (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023, ISBN 978-0593536117)

Personal life

Hill is married and lives in Naples, Florida. His wife Jenni is a musician in the Naples Philharmonic.

References

External links

• Official website
• 6 questions for The Nix author Nathan Hill, atlantamagazine.com