Laura Zigman
AUTHOR

Laura Zigman

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The Short Version:
Laura Zigman is the author of the novels Small World, Separation Anxiety (which was just optioned by Julianne Nicholson and the production company Wiip for a limited television series); Animal Husbandry (which was made into the movie Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd), Dating Big Bird, Her, and Piece of Work. She has ghostwritten/collaborated on several works of non-fiction, including Eddie Izzard's New York Times bestseller, Believe Me; been a contributor to the New York Times; and was the recipient of a Yaddo residency. Her seventh novel, THE AUTHOR WEEKEND, will be published in May 2026. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Long Version:
Laura Zigman grew up in Newton, Massachusetts (where she felt she never quite fit in), and graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (where she didn't fit in either) and the Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course (where she finally started to feel like she fit in). She spent ten years working (slaving away) in New York in book publishing where she was a (much-abused under-appreciated) publicist for Alfred A. Knopf and other divisions of Random House. After moving to Washington, D.C. and working briefly for The Smithsonian Associates (she had a cubicle), she (finally) finished her first novel. (The thinly-disguised autobiographical novel) Animal Husbandry was published in 1998 and became a national bestseller. It was published in over 20 countries and in 2001 the film based on the book, 'Someone Like You,' (they changed the title at the last minute because they were afraid people wouldn't 'get' the meaning of the original title, not that she's complaining) starring Ashley Judd and (excuse her while she drools) Hugh Jackman, was released. Her second (thinly-disguised autobiographical) novel, Dating Big Bird, came out in 2000, and her third (thinly disguised autobiographical) novel, Her, published by Knopf (where she once worked ' an exquisite irony), followed in 2002. Her next (thinly-disguised autobiographical) novel, Piece of Work, was published in 2006 and was based on her (horrific but entertaining) experiences as a publicist, It was optioned by Tom Hanks' production company, Playtone Pictures, and had My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos (luff her) attached to write the screenplay and star in the movie (obviously that never happened). For a while she stopped writing fiction (writer's block) and ghostwrote instead (for Wendy Davis and Eddie Izzard, among others). Eventually she found her way back to her own work. Separation Anxiety was published in March 2020, right before the pandemic, and has been optioned by Julianne Nicholson ("Mare of Easttown") for a limited television series. SMALL WORLD, a New York Times Group Text pick, was published in 2023. And THE AUTHOR WEEKEND is coming in May 2026. She currently lives in Cambridge, MA.
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