Born in Iran, award-winning author Daniel Nayeri spent a couple of years as a refugee before immigrating to Oklahoma at age eight with his family. Nayeri’s childhood in Oklahoma is the basis of his latest novel, the autobiographical Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story), winner of several honors, including the 2021 Printz Award. 

On October 19, Nayeri shared insights about his life and book with Heritage Hall Middle School students during a visit to the School. Nayeri’s presentation was a compelling mix of personal stories and an exploration of what makes a story, why we have stories, and what makes stories so powerful. Following a Q&A session, Nayeri challenged students to be kind to themselves and listen to other people’s stories as they foster understanding and community.

Commenting on Nayeri’s visit, Jennifer Terry, MLIS, director of the School’s Rainbolt Family Library, stated, “Having Daniel Nayeri on campus was a dream come true for our students. His book and talk weighed the importance of storytelling, how we grow from learning others' stories, and how the most important stories are the ones we tell ourselves. Author visits create a lasting impression on students, and Daniel’s was a true highlight.” 

 

Other books written by Nayeri include Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow: Four Novellas, The Elixir Fixers series, How to Tell a Story, and The Most Dangerous Book.