Louisa Thomas

Louisa Thomas is a writer, journalist, and a distinguished author of both fiction and nonfiction. She is the author of four books, most recently Conscience: The Search for Truth in the Land of Lies (2020). She is also the author of the novel Rita Hayworth, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and the short story collection, Speak for Yourself.

Louisa was born in the small town of Richwood, Virginia in 1971, in a family of teachers and educators. She grew up in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where she was exposed to a variety of literature, including both classic and contemporary writers. She was a voracious reader who enjoyed exploring historical and literary contexts in books. Reading and writing stories became a deep passion for her, and she wrote her first piece of fiction when she was just nine years old.

Louisa received a degree in English Literature from the University of Virginia, and also studied at Cambridge University and the New School in New York. She then completed her MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst before returning to Virginia to pursue her writing career.

She has since worked for a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Smithsonian Magazine. She has also served as a radio personality for the popular “This American Life” radio show, and has appeared as a commentator on “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show” and “Nightline”.

The roots of her writing are in historical fiction and nonfiction, as she immerses herself in specific settings of time and place to tell captivating stories. This approach carries over into Louisa's semi-autobiographical novel, Rita Hayworth, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which tells the story of a young woman coming of age in a Southern town while grappling with her personal identity in a tumultuous environment. Her novel was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award, and the New York Times Book Review declared it a “brilliant coming of age story.”

Louisa's latest work is her nonfiction book, Conscience: The Search for Truth in the Land of Lies. This literary collection examines the intricacies of American life and its ongoing moral and ethical dilemmas, from the world of politics to the complex perspectives of every day people. Louisa dives into the debates between personal conscience and political expediency and explores the nature of truth in a world where lies too often win. The Washington Post praised this book as “an invaluable addition to the conversation about truth in our current era.”

In her fiction and nonfiction, Louisa Thomas is an author of intelligence and elegance. Her work speaks to a wide audience and illustrates both our individual moments and collective histories. She urges her readers to embrace challenge, mystery and possibility and to find their own truths. Louisa Thomas is an author who deserves to be read and celebrated.