Brandon Taylor (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandon Taylor
Born	(1989-06-01) June 1, 1989 (age 36) Prattville, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Alma mater	Auburn University Montgomery University of Iowa University of Wisconsin–Madison
Period	2020–present
Notable works	Real Life (2020) Filthy Animals (2021)
Notable awards	The Story Prize (2022)

Brandon Taylor (born June 1, 1989) is an American writer. He has earned advanced degrees from important universities. He has also received special awards for his writing. His short stories and essays have been published in many places. They have received great praise from critics. His first novel, Real Life, came out in 2020. It was a finalist for the famous Booker Prize. In 2022, Taylor's book Filthy Animals won The Story Prize. This award is given each year for collections of short stories.

Early Life and Education

Brandon Taylor was born on June 1, 1989. He grew up in a small town near Montgomery, Alabama. His family was very religious and conservative. Many in his family could not read well. Because of this, Brandon often read important papers for his parents. He taught himself to read using his brother's school books. He read many different types of books as he grew up. These included romance novels, nursing manuals, and the Bible.

Taylor went to Auburn University at Montgomery for his first college degree. Later, he joined a science program. In 2016, he decided to change his path. He then started a career in creative writing. He earned advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa, he was a special writing fellow.

Writing Career

Brandon Taylor's short stories and essays have appeared in many well-known magazines. These include Granta, The New Yorker, and O: The Oprah Magazine. He is also a senior editor for "Recommended Reading" at Electric Literature. He is a staff writer at Literary Hub. He has also written book reviews for The New York Times. He reviewed books by authors like Sally Rooney.

In an interview, Taylor shared some writers who influenced him. These included Jane Austen and Alice Munro. He received a special award from the Lambda Literary Foundation in 2017. He also received other writing awards.

His first novel, Real Life, was published in 2020. It was released by Riverhead Books. In 2021, a collection of his short stories, Filthy Animals, was also published by Riverhead.

About Real Life

Taylor wrote his first novel, Real Life, very quickly. He finished it in less than five weeks. He said that writing a novel means you have to live inside the story. The book is about a gay Black student from a small town in Alabama. It takes place on a college campus.

Real Life was published in 2020 and received great reviews. Critics praised Taylor's writing style. One reviewer said his voice was like a "controlled roar of rage and pain." Another review in The New York Times noted that the book explores deep feelings from everyday life. It shows how the real story happens beneath the surface.

Taylor's book tour for Real Life was cut short. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Real Life was a finalist for the 2020 Booker Prize. The New York Times also listed it as one of the "100 Notable Books of 2020." In 2021, GQ magazine reported that Real Life was being made into a movie. The movie was set to feature Kid Cudi.

About Filthy Animals

Taylor's collection of short stories, Filthy Animals, won The Story Prize in 2022. This award celebrates excellent short fiction. A review in the Los Angeles Review of Books praised the book. It said the stories were full of warmth and human feeling. The reviewer compared Taylor's writing to famous authors like Raymond Carver and Alice Munro.

About The Late Americans

Taylor's second novel, The Late Americans, was published in 2023. This book follows a group of writers in Iowa City, Iowa. This is where Taylor lived while studying writing. Most critics liked the novel. However, some reviews were more mixed compared to his first two books.

Future Writing Projects

In June 2023, an article in The Guardian mentioned Taylor's future plans. He was working on two new novels. One was called Group Show and the other Other Years. He was also working on a project called Kinfolks. This project explores the rural areas where he grew up. He said writing Kinfolks was challenging because it was his first time writing fiction about his childhood home.

In July 2024, Publishers Weekly reported more news. Taylor plans to publish two non-fiction books. One will be a collection of literary essays. The other will be about the craft of writing. Both are expected in 2026 and 2027. He also helped create a new publishing imprint called Smith & Taylor Classics. This imprint will publish lesser-known works by famous authors.

In March 2025, Taylor announced his third novel, Minor Black Figures. It is scheduled for release on October 7, 2025. This novel is about a gay Black painter in New York City. He becomes involved with a former priest. Taylor also shared that he stopped working on the novel Group Show.

Personal Life

As of 2022, Brandon Taylor lives in New York City.

From 2021 to 2023, Taylor read all 20 novels in Émile Zola's Les Rougon-Macquart series. He was asked to write about the series for the London Review of Books.

Awards and Recognition

Brandon Taylor has received many awards for his writing.