Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is an Iranian-American author renowned for her contributions to young adult and middle-grade literature. She is best known for the Shatter Me series, a dystopian saga that has achieved international bestseller status and has been translated into over thirty languages. Her debut novel, Shatter Me, was published in 2011 and initiated a series that includes six main novels and multiple companion novellas. Born on November 9, 1988, in Connecticut, Mafi is the youngest of five children. Her parents immigrated from Iran, and during her adolescence, the family relocated to Northern California and later to Orange County. She graduated from University High School in Irvine and earned a degree from Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California. During her college years, she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, immersing herself in the Spanish language and culture. Mafi has expressed proficiency in multiple languages and a lifelong passion for storytelling. Before publishing her first novel, Mafi wrote several manuscripts to refine her craft. Following the success of the original Shatter Me trilogy—Shatter Me (2011), Unravel Me (2013), and Ignite Me (2014)—she expanded the universe with additional titles: Restore Me (2018), Defy Me (2019), Imagine Me (2020), and novellas such as Destroy Me, Fracture Me, Shadow Me, Reveal Me, and Believe Me. It’s spin-off, Watch Me, released in 2025, followed by Release Me in 2026. Escape Me the third installment is scheduled for release in late 2026. In 2016, Mafi published Furthermore, a middle-grade fantasy novel, followed by its companion, Whichwood (2017). Her standalone contemporary novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea (2018), set in post-9/11 America, was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She continued exploring themes of identity and resilience in An Emotion of Great Delight (2021). Mafi’s recent work includes the fantasy series This Woven Kingdom (2022), inspired by Persian mythology, with sequels These Infinite Threads (2023) and All This Twisted Glory (2024).