Brendan I. Koerner
Brendan I. Koerner is an award-winning nonfiction author and freelance journalist, whose work has appeared in a variety of publications including The New York Times Magazine, Wired, Slate, and The New Yorker. A regular contributor to Harper’s Magazine since 2004, he has also authored several books, including Now the Hell Will Start: One Soldier’s Flight from the Greatest Manhunt of World War II and The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking.
Born in New York City, Koerner spent his early years in Upstate New York, before moving to Miami with his family at age 12. He attended college at the University of Florida, where he studied journalism and creative writing; after graduation, he landed a job as a reporter at The Miami Herald.
Koerner left the Herald in 2000, joining Wired as its senior editor in 2001. At the magazine, he played a major role in developing the popular “Wired World” series, which featured internationally-focused stories and essays. In the years since, he has evolved into a renowned editorial stylist, an expert on American cultural matters, and an effective narrator of complex, multifaceted stories.
Now the Hell Will Start, Koerner’s first book, was released in 2008. It concerned Herman Perry, a World War II-era Army deserter who evaded Allied and Japanese forces in Southeast Asia for years. Thanks to its unique narrative style, it was named a New York Times Notable Book and the winner of the P.E.N. America’s Joyce O. Reiser Memorial Award for Excellence in Journalism.
In 2012, Koerner released his second book, The Skies Belong to Us. Telling the story of a golden era of air piracy, it was well-received by critics and even spawned a documentary film project. It earned effusive praise from some of America’s most well-respected media outlets and was named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Financial Times.
In addition to his nonfiction writing, Koerner has contributed op-eds to publications such as The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Guardian. As of 2021, he is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, where he has covered a wide range of topics ranging from politics and science to culture and art.
Early in his career, Koerner was awarded a M.L. Lieber Prize, and a National Press Club Award for his article “The Enemy Within,” which appeared in Wired in 2006. He currently resides in New York, where he is busy working on his latest book project.
In writing his books, Koerner has cultivated a deft narrative style and an attention to detail that make for exceptional work. He is certainly a rising star in the world of nonfiction, and no doubt his work will continue to draw attention and critical acclaim long into the future.
