Ruta Sepetys – American 21st-century novelist, author of Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea, winner of the Carnegie Medal. She writes historical fiction about silenced tragedies of the 20th century. Critics call her “the voice for the voiceless,” blending fact with lyrical prose.
📖 Her debut Between Shades of Gray shed light on Soviet deportations of Lithuanians. 🌊 Salt to the Sea became an international bestseller about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy. 🎬 Her works are translated into 60+ languages and adapted for film. 🏆 In 2017 she won the Carnegie Medal – the first American to do so. 🌍 Born in the U.S. to Lithuanian immigrant parents. 🎤 Speaks at UNESCO and the European Parliament on historical memory. 📚 Her novels are widely taught in schools worldwide. 🕊 Says she writes to “give voice to those history forced into silence.” 🎶 Formerly worked in the music industry as an artist manager. 😅 Funny note: as a child, she fancied herself a spy, keeping secret “dossiers” on neighbours.