Jane Yolen, born in 1939, is a highly prolific American author known for her contributions to fantasy, science fiction, and children's literature. She has authored or edited over 400 books, including the notable Holocaust novella "The Devil's Arithmetic." Her career began surprisingly in children's books, despite her initial aspirations as a poet and journalist. Yolen's early life involved several moves, with her family relocating between New York and California due to her father's work in journalism and film publicity. She received her higher education at Smith College and the University of Massachusetts. Throughout her career, she has held various editorial roles and even managed her own young adult fiction imprint. Yolen has also collaborated with her children on several projects, most extensively with her son, Adam Stemple.

Her literary achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Nebula Award for her novelette "Lost Girls" and a Special World Fantasy Award for "Favorite Folktales From Around the World." She was also honored with the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. Yolen has also delivered significant lectures, such as the inaugural Alice G. Smith Lecture and the Andrew Lang lecture, becoming the first woman to give the latter. She continues to be an active writer, publishing her 400th book in 2021. Yolen splits her time between Massachusetts and Scotland.

Born in Manhattan in 1939, Jane Yolen was raised in a secular Jewish household. Her father was a journalist, and her mother, a former psychiatric social worker, became a homemaker. The family moved to California early in Yolen's childhood for her father's work in Hollywood publicity, later returning to New York. During World War II, when her father served in the Army, Yolen lived with her mother and brother in Virginia. Her childhood included attending public school in Manhattan, where she developed an early interest in writing by creating a neighborhood newspaper with her brother. She also experienced a Quaker summer camp, her first contact with the Society of Friends. The family eventually settled in Connecticut, where Yolen attended high school before pursuing higher education.

Despite considering herself primarily a poet and journalist, Jane Yolen found her unexpected success as a writer of children's books, publishing her first in 1961. Her extensive bibliography spans genres including fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, with "The Devil's Arithmetic," a novella set during the Holocaust, being one of her most recognized works. She has also received accolades for short works such as "Sister Emily's Lightship" and "Lost Girls." Yolen's writing often explores themes of folklore, mythology, and historical events, making her a significant voice in speculative fiction for young readers. Her prolific output and consistent quality have earned her a distinguished place in contemporary literature, with over 400 books attributed to her name.

Jane Yolen's contributions to literature have been widely acknowledged through numerous prestigious awards. She has received honors such as the Nebula Award, the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and the Regina Medal for her body of work. Her significant achievements were further recognized with a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award, highlighting her lasting impact on the speculative fiction field. Yolen has also been a featured speaker at academic institutions, delivering the Alice G. Smith Lecture and the Andrew Lang lecture. Her extensive body of work and consistent critical acclaim solidify her legacy as a master storyteller and a foundational figure in modern fantasy and children's literature.

“I'm pretty sure [J. K. Rowling] never read my book. We were both using fantasy tropes—the wizard school, the pictures on the wall that move. I happen to have a hero whose name was Henry, not Harry. He also had a red-headed best friend and a girl who was also his best friend—though my girl was black, not white. And there was a wicked wizard who was trying to destroy the school, who was once a teacher at the school. But those are all fantasy tropes ...There's even a book that came out way before hers where children go off to a witch school or a wizard school by going on a mysterious train that no one else can see except the kids, at a major British train station—I don’t know if it was Victoria Station or King's Cross. These things are out there ...This is not new.”