Rebecca Makkai

Date of Birth: April 20, 1978

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Biography

Rebecca Makkai is an American novelist and short story writer best known for her poignant explorations of human relationships and societal issues. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Makkai has established herself as a prominent voice in contemporary literature. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and later pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Makkai’s debut novel, “The Borrower,” was published in 2011 and received critical acclaim for its imaginative narrative and complex characters. Her second novel, “The Hundred-Year House,” also garnered praise and won the Chicago Writers Association award for Book of the Year in 2014. However, it was her third novel, “The Great Believers,” published in 2018, that catapulted her to international fame. This powerful story about the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Chicago was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won the ALA Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. In addition to her novels, Makkai has published numerous short stories in prestigious literary magazines such as “Tin House,” “Ploughshares,” and “The Best American Short Stories” series. Her work often explores themes of memory, loss, and the passage of time, capturing the intricacies of personal and communal histories.

5 Interesting Facts about Rebecca Makkai

1. Rebecca Makkai’s “The Great Believers” won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction in 2018.

2. She is the Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago, a creative writing center.

3. Makkai is of Hungarian descent and often incorporates her heritage into her writing.

4. She has taught at several prestigious writing programs, including the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Northwestern University.

5. Makkai’s short stories have been selected for “The Best American Short Stories” four times.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Rebecca Makkai

1. “The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – that you’d thought special and particular to you.”

2. “Our memories are unreliable; they can betray us, and they often do.”

3. “In fiction, you can tell the truth without telling the truth.”

4. “Writing is both an act of faith and an act of self-doubt.”

5. “The stories we tell about ourselves shape our reality.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Rebecca Makkai’s highest net worth achieved is estimated to be around $1 million.

Children

Rebecca Makkai has two children with her husband, a school librarian. She often shares insights into her family life and the balancing act of parenting and writing.