{{Short description|English novelist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox writer | image = Laura Steven - 2018.jpg | caption = Steven in 2018 | birth_name = | birth_date = 1991 | birth_place = | alma_mater = Northumbria University | occupation = Writer, novelist | years_active = 2015–present | website = {{URL|https://www.laura-steven.com/}} | othername = | pseudonym = {{Flatlist| * Laura Salters * Laura Kirkpatrick * L. K. Steven }} }}
'''Laura Steven''' (born 1991;<ref name="cl dec 14" /> also known as '''Laura Salters''', '''L. K. Steven''', or '''Laura Kirkpatrick''') is an English novelist. She won the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize for her novel ''The Exact Opposite of Okay'' (2018). ''Our Infinite Fates'' (2025) hit #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list, and remained on the young adult hardcover list for 15 weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - Books - July 6, 2025 - the New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2025/07/06/young-adult-hardcover/ |work=The New York Times |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref> Her adult fantasy debut ''Silvercloak'' (2025) was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Steven |first1=Laura |url=https://www.laura-steven.com/ |website=laura-steven.com |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Flood | first = Alison | title = Jilly Cooper tops inaugural Comedy women in print awards | newspaper = The Guardian
| date = 10 July 2019 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/10/jilly-cooper-tops-inaugural-comedy-women-in-print-awards | access-date = 14 November 2023}}</ref>
She has used comedy to explore feminist issues in her young adult novels, including an exploration of beauty in ''Every Exquisite Thing'' (her re-telling of ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'')<ref>{{cite news | last = Steven | first = Laura | title = Laura Steven on the epiphanies she had while writing Every Exquisite Thing | newspaper = CultureFly | quote = “Girls don’t want beauty. Girls want power. And sometimes beauty is the closest substitute.” | date = 14 September 2023 | url = https://culturefly.co.uk/laura-steven-on-the-epiphanies-she-had-while-writing-every-exquisite-thing/ | access-date = 14 November 2023}}</ref> and female rage in ''The Society for Soulless Girls'' (her re-telling of ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'').<ref>{{cite news | last = Harvey | first = Fran | title = INTERVIEW: LAURA STEVEN | newspaper = Narc Magazine | quote = “Girls don’t want beauty. Girls want power. And sometimes beauty is the closest substitute.” | date = 7 July 2022 | url = https://narcmagazine.com/interview-laura-steven/ | access-date = 14 November 2023}}</ref>
==Early life== Steven grew up in Berwick-upon-Tweed.<ref name="cl dec 14">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/berwick-writer-laura-steven-signs-8241910|title=Berwick writer Laura Steven signs Harper Collins book deal with her first-ever book|work=ChronicleLive|first=Eleanor|last=Steafel|date=7 December 2014|accessdate=28 August 2024}}</ref> She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism in 2013 and a Master of Arts (MA) in Creative Writing, both from Northumbria University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.northumbria.ac.uk/pressreleases/northumbria-graduate-set-for-runaway-success-1194719|title=Northumbria graduate set for 'runaway' success|website=Northumbria Newsroom|date=15 May 2015|accessdate=28 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/humanities/research/english-research/creative-writing/postgraduate-research-in-creative-writing/creative-writing-student-successes/|title=Creative Writing Student Successes|website=Northumbria University|accessdate=28 August 2024}}</ref>
==Career== Steven began her career in magazine journalism. In 2014 at age 23 under the pseudonym Laura Salters, she signed her first book deal with Witness Impulse (a HarperCollins imprint), through which she published her debut novel, a crime thriller titled ''Run Away'', in 2015.<ref name="cl dec 14"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://headstuff.org/culture/literature/meet-the-author-1-laura-salters/|title=Meet The Author 1 Laura Salters|work=HeadStuff|first=Mick|last=Mahady|date=18 May 2015|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref> This was followed by her second crime novel ''Perfect Prey'' in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/perfect-prey-laura-salters/|title=Perfect Prey by Laura Salters|work=Smart Bitches, Trashy Books|author=Elyse|date=23 November 2016|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="cl jul 17">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/young-newcastle-authors-laugh-out-13395982|title=Young Newcastle author's 'laugh-out-loud' novel is snapped up in two-book deal|journal=ChronicleLive|first=David|last=Whetstone|date=27 July 2017|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref>
Rebranding to Laura Steven, she gained prominence through her young adult ''Izzy O'Neill'' duology, the first of which, ''The Exact Opposite of Okay'', was published in 2018 by Electric Monkeys (an Egmont Books imprint).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thenerddaily.com/review-the-exact-opposite-of-okay-by-laura-steven/|title=Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven|work=The Nerd Daily|first=Isabella|last=Stocka|date=8 October 2018|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="cl jul 17"/> The sequel ''A Girl Called Shameless'' followed in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.farshore.co.uk/a-girl-called-shameless-announcing-the-next-novel-by-laura-steven/|title=A Girl Called Shameless – announcing the next novel by Laura Steven|website=Fanshore|date=17 August 2018|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref> Under the name Laura Kirkpatrick, she also published the middle-grade fantasy novel ''And Then I Turned into a Mermaid'' via Farshore Books (formerly Egmont Books, since acquired by HarperCollins UK).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bookshelvesofdoom.org/blog/2019/12/24/and-then-i-turned-into-a-mermaid-by-laura-kirkpatrick|title=And Then I Turned Into a Mermaid, by Laura Kirkpatrick|work=Bookshelves of Doom|date=24 December 2019|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/authors/k/kirkpatrick-laura/|title=Laura Kirkpatrick|website=BookTrust|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref> and its 2020 sequel ''Don't Tell Him I'm a Mermaid''.
Also in 2020, Lime Pictures optioned the rights to adapt Steven's next young adult novel ''Love Hypothesis'' for television ahead of its release.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/uks-lime-pictures-options-laura-stevens-ya-novel-love-hypothesis-1282269/|title=Laura Steven's YA Novel 'Love Hypothesis' Optioned by U.K.'s Lime Pictures for TV (Exclusive)|journal=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Alex|last=Ritman|date=3 March 2020|accessdate=2 September 2024}}</ref>
In 2023, it was announced that Steven had moved to Penguin Random House in a "major six-figure deal",<ref>{{cite web |title=Penguin snaps up 'utterly compelling' romance from Steven in major six-figure pre-empt |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/penguin-snaps-up-utterly-compelling-romance-from-steven-in-major-six-figure-pre-empt |website=The Bookseller |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref> including ''Our Infinite Fates'', which would go on to become a #1 New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller.
The following year, Steven announced her adult fantasy debut trilogy with fantasy imprint Del Rey.<ref>{{cite web |title=Del Rey on both sides of the Atlantic pre-empts for YA star Laura Steven's first adult fantasy |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/del-rey-on-both-sides-of-the-atlantic-pre-empts-for-ya-star-laura-stevens-first-adult-fantasy |website=The Bookseller |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref> Silvercloak, the first book in the series, was published under the pseudonym L.K. Steven and became an instant #5 Sunday Times bestseller in July 2025.
==Bibliography== ===''Izzy O'Neill''=== * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=The Exact Opposite of Okay |publisher=Electric Monkey |year=2018 |isbn=978-1405288446 |language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=A Girl Called Shameless |publisher=Electric Monkey |year=2019 |isbn=978-1405288620 |language=English |author-mask=0}}
===''And Then I Turned into a Mermaid''=== * {{Cite book |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Laura |title=And Then I Turned into a Mermaid |publisher=Farshore Books |year=2019 |isbn= |language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Laura|title=Don't Tell Him I'm a Mermaid|publisher=Farshore Books|year=2020|isbn=|language=English |author-mask=0}}
=== Stand-alone novels === * {{Cite book |last=Salters |first=Laura |title=Run Away|publisher=Witness Impulse|year=2015 |isbn=|language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Salters |first=Laura |title=Perfect Prey|publisher=Witness Impulse|year=2016 |isbn=|language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=The Love Hypothesis |publisher=Electric Monkey |year=2020 |isbn=978-1405296946 |language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=The Society for Soulless Girls |publisher=Electric Monkey |year=2022 |isbn=978-1405296939 |language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=Every Exquisite Thing |publisher=Electric Monkey |year=2023 |isbn=978-0008627355 |language=English |author-mask=0}} * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=Laura |title=Our Infinite Fates |publisher=Wednesday Books |year=2025 |isbn=978-1250333889 |language=en |author-mask=0}} <ref>{{cite book |last1=Steven |first1=Laura |title=Our Infinite Fates |date=4 March 2025 |publisher=Wednesday Books |isbn=978-1250333889 }}</ref>
===''Silvercloak Saga''=== * {{Cite book |last=Steven |first=L.K. |title=Silvercloak |publisher=Del Rey |year=2025 |isbn=978-0593973998 |language=en |author-mask=0}} <ref>{{cite book |last1=Steven |first1=L.K. |title=Silvercloak |date=29 July 2025 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0593973998}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.laura-steven.com/}} * {{Instagram|id=laurasteven}} * [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17054622.Laura_Steven Laura Steven] on Goodreads * {{LibraryThing author|id=stevenlaura}} * {{ISFDB name|id=365128}} * [https://harpercollins.co.uk/blogs/authors/laura-steven Profile] at HarperCollins UK * [https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/laura-steven Profile] at HarperCollins * [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2283041/laura-steven/ Profile] at Penguin Random House {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steven, Laura}} Category:1991 births Category:21st-century pseudonymous writers Category:Alumni of Northumbria University Category:British women writers of young adult literature Category:British writers of young adult literature Category:English comedy writers Category:People from Berwick-upon-Tweed Category:21st-century pseudonymous women writers Category:Writers from Northumberland Category:Living people Category:21st-century English women novelists Category:21st-century English novelists