Laura Harrington

about the author

Laura Harrington

Award-winning Playwright and Author of Alice Bliss

Laura Harrington, award-winning playwright, lyricist, and librettist, and winner of the 2008 Kleban Award for “most promising librettist in American Musical Theatre,” has written dozens of plays, musicals, operas, and radio plays which have been produced in twenty-eight states, Canada, and Europe, in venues ranging from off Broadway to Houston Grand Opera to the Cinémathèque Française.

Harrington has twice won both the Massachusetts Cultural Council Award for Playwriting and the Clauder Competition for Best New Play in New England. Additional awards include a Boston IRNE Award for Best New Play, a Bunting Institute Fellowship at Harvard/Radcliffe, a Whiting Foundation Grant-in-Aid, the Joseph Kesselring Award for Drama, a New England Emmy, and a Cinémathèque QuébécoiseAward.

Laura teaches playwriting at MIT, where she was awarded the 2009 Levitan Prize for Excellence in Teaching. She has also been a frequent guest artist at Tufts, Harvard, Wellesley, Skidmore, and the University of Iowa.

Alice Bliss, her first novel, published by Pamela Dorman Books at Viking/Penguin, has been widely acclaimed in print and online reviews. Alice Bliss is a “People Pick” with 4 out of 4 stars, has been chosen as one of “The Best New Reads of the Summer” by Entertainment Weekly, and has been selected for the Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” program. Foreign rights for Alice Bliss have been sold in the UK, Italy, and Denmark.

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Featured Book

Alice Bliss Buy Now

Alice Bliss

"I put down this book and thought, there is no one like this girl, so fully has Harrington brought a new Alice to life. The great sorrow, of course, is that there are many Alice Blisses out there. The power of Harrington's richly delineated novel lies in putting a girl like Alice before us and asking us to remember how many beautiful, feisty others are staring down the long hall of adulthood with a father or a mother gone to war."

—Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress

"Heartbreaking yet edged with promise, Alice Bliss explores the wounds of war, love, and family bonds while illuminating the strength of a young girl's spirit. A stunning debut."

—Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Speaking Topics

  • Alice Bliss
  • Writing About War
  • The War at Home
  • From Stage to Page: One Writer's Journey from Writing Plays to Writing Novels

Testimonials

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  • "Laura Harrington's visit to Waring School was deeply riveting and meaningful. Speaking to our "All-School Meeting," Laura captivated our students, from grades 6-12, with selections from Alice Bliss. In a separate session, working with students in a play writing class, Laura thrilled the students with an excellent writing exercise and then made helpful and encouraging comments, connecting with each student. Laura is a master teacher, a poised and engaging speaker, and a real asset to schools and groups interested in the life of the writer. This was the best author reading of our "Year of the Writer" series." - Tim Averill, Waring School

  • "Laura Harrington is a brilliant and engaging speaker. My students loved her; the faculty loved her. She is exciting, smart, and funny. She is also thoughtful and has important ideas to share. Her presentation is inspirational." - Charlotte Gordon, Assistant Professor of English, Endicott College

  • "Laura Harrington came to O'Maley to visit with our 250 6th graders and read from her book, Alice Bliss. The students were enthralled while she read and many of them, who had recently written their own novels during NaNoWriMo, spoke of the inspiration she gave them to continue writing and reading. She graciously answered questions and had private conversations with many students during the book signing. Her visit made such a positive impact on us all. We hope there are many more novels from Ms. Harrington!" - Pat Hand, O'Maley Middle School

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