Download author photos and book covers here

Short Bio

Growing up in the DC area, Olivia devoured books and hid in empty classrooms during school to finish them. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, was published in 2021, receiving the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. Her sophomore novel, Azar on Fire, was published in August 2022 and is a SLJ pick. Olivia's third novel, Twin Flames, is a New Visions Award winner and published in August 2024. The Interpreter is her first picture book, receiving four starred reviews. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughters.

Long Bio

Olivia Abtahi is a writer based in Denver, Colorado. Born to an Iranian father and an Argentine mother, she is a melting pot of distinct cultures. She is a graduate of NYU Film School and VCU Brandcenter, and has lived in New York, San Francisco, Richmond Virginia, and Dublin, Ireland. She holds a BFA and Masters of Science in Communication.

Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, was published in 2021 by Penguin Random House Putnam Books For Young Readers, receiving the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. Her sophomore novel, Azar on Fire, was published in August 2022 and is a SLJ Pick. Twin Flames, her third novel, is the winner of Lee and Low’s New Visions Award and published in August 2024. Olivia’s Picture Book debut, The Interpreter is forthcoming from Kokila in January 2025 with four starred reviews, along with her middle grade series, Rostam and the Red Dwarf, forthcoming from Simon and Schuster in 2026. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughters. When Olivia is not writing, you can find her hiding behind a sewing machine.