Each day leading up to the 30th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony, we’ll be featuring an exclusive interview with one of our 36 finalists. Learn more about these incredible local writers and gear up to see the winners announced live in person April 21.
Interview with Sara Biren, author of The Last Thing You Said
Category: Young Adult Literature, sponsored by Brainfuse
Being a finalist for this renowned award with these high caliber young adult authors is such an honor, and a significant accomplishment of my writing journey. I’ve attended the Awards a number of times in the past, and it’s thrilling to a nominee.
What does writing mean to you?
Writing has been a part of my life for so long, since I first worked with local teaching artists who visited my school and dreamed of becoming an author one day. My characters and their experiences become a part of me, and I work hard to get their stories right. I can’t imagine a life without storytelling.
Why are stories important for our communities?
Communities need stories to capture, preserve, and process experience. Stories offer a way to share and evoke emotion, to learn about the experiences of others, to understand what it means to be a member of a community, to find your people and a sense of belonging. Stories inspire. Stories have enduring power.
Tell us something people might not know about you.
I name my vehicles. My first car, a red Pontiac Sunbird sedan, was called Scarlett. Next, a blue Pontiac Sunbird coupe, was named Spartacus (after I saw That Thing You Do! several times in the theater). Next up, a blue Saturn L200 lovingly dubbed Simon LeBon (I’m a big Duran Duran fan). My beloved white Saturn Vue was called Veronica after the Elvis Costello song. My current vehicle, a white Chevy Equinox, is named after a character in Kerstin Gier’s Ruby Red trilogy, time traveler Gideon de Villiers.
What do you love about libraries?
Some of my fondest memories are of experiences at libraries. The Bookmobile that visited my small town once a week before we got our own library. Hours spent at that library, finding new treasures and rereading favorites. Bringing home my selections and spending hot, humid summer days exploring new worlds in my cool basement. Discovering local libraries as I moved to different cities and snapping pictures of quaint village libraries during my travels around the country. There’s something so comforting and welcoming about a library. Libraries give us a place to dream and grow and belong.
More about Sara Biren:
Sara Biren lives in Hanover, Minnesota, with her husband and their two children. A lifelong Minnesotan, she is a fan of hockey, hotdish, and weekends at the lake. Sara is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She works full-time as a Content & Social Media Manager at a Minneapolis marketing firm and part-time as a freelance editor.
See the winners announced live at the 30th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony!
