Autumn Cornwell

Squat toilets, profuse sweating, jumbo centipedes, ear nibbling—these are just some of the delights I’ve encountered in my global adventures, which inspired my first YA comedic adventure, CARPE DIEM, published in the U.S. by Macmillan, followed by foreign editions in Germany (“Guten Tag!”), the Netherlands, and China.  The novel follows the story of overachiever Vassar Spore who is forced to backpack through Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos with her wacky bohemian grandma—and experiences enough misadventures to last a lifetime.  Most of which (fortunately or unfortunately, as the case may be) really happened to me!

My work with the refugees and persecuted minority groups of Southeast Asia inspired my latest YA comedic adventure, NEVER SORRY EVER JOLLY, in which a group of teens fall in love AND into trouble while volunteering on the Thailand-Burma border.

Writing and speaking about physical, creative, spiritual—and WACKY—adventures has been my lifelong calling. When I’m not losing luggage internationally, I can be found attempting to write about those experiences at home in Southern California.