Jenny Han

Biography

Jenny Han is an American author, screenwriter, producer, showrunner, and director best known for creating some of the most successful young-adult romance stories of the 21st century. She is the author of the bestselling To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, both of which were adapted into popular screen franchises. Her books have been published in more than 30 languages.

Early Life and Education

Jenny Han was born on September 3, 1980, in Richmond, Virginia, USA. She grew up in a Korean-American family and developed an interest in books and storytelling at an early age. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later earned an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School in New York.

Before becoming a full-time author, Han worked as a librarian. Her experience working with young readers helped her understand the kinds of stories that connected with teenagers and young adults.

Literary Career

Han began her publishing career with Shug, a children's novel published in 2006. The story follows a twelve-year-old girl dealing with friendship, school, family, and the challenges of growing up.

Her breakthrough came with The Summer I Turned Pretty, published in 2009. The novel follows Isabel "Belly" Conklin as she experiences a transformative summer and finds herself caught between two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. It became the first book in a trilogy that continued with It's Not Summer Without You (2010) and We'll Always Have Summer (2011). The series became a major success among young-adult readers.

Han subsequently co-wrote the Burn for Burn trilogy with Siobhan Vivian. The series consisted of Burn for Burn (2012), Fire with Fire (2013), and Ashes to Ashes (2014).

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

In 2014, Han published To All the Boys I've Loved Before, introducing readers to Lara Jean Song Covey. The story follows Lara Jean, a teenage girl whose private love letters to her former crushes are unexpectedly sent out, turning her quiet romantic life upside down.

The novel became a major bestseller and was followed by P.S. I Still Love You (2015) and Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017).

The success of the books led to a film adaptation starring Lana Condor as Lara Jean and Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky. Han served as an executive producer on the film trilogy: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020), and To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021).

Transition to Television

Han expanded her career from novelist to television creator and showrunner with The Summer I Turned Pretty. She developed the television adaptation from her bestselling trilogy and serves as creator and co-showrunner.

The series premiered in 2022 and follows Belly Conklin as she navigates growing up, friendship, family, and her complicated feelings for brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. Han has also worked as an executive producer and writer on the series.

The show's success helped bring Han's original novels to a new generation of readers. Her work became particularly associated with stories about first love, heartbreak, family relationships, identity, and the transition from adolescence into adulthood.

XO, Kitty

Han also created XO, Kitty, a spin-off of the To All the Boys franchise centered on Kitty Covey, Lara Jean's younger sister. The series premiered in 2023 and follows Kitty as she begins a new chapter of her life at an international school in Seoul.

Han served as creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series.

Directorial Career

Han expanded further into filmmaking by making her directorial debut during the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which premiered in 2025. Her move into directing represented another stage in her transition from novelist to a filmmaker with creative involvement across writing, producing, showrunning, and directing.

Production Career

Han established her own production banner, Jenny Kissed Me, which focuses on coming-of-age stories and stories about different stages of life. She also signed an overall television and film deal with Amazon Studios in 2022, allowing her to develop and produce additional projects.

Selected Bibliography

Standalone and Children's Books

• Shug (2006)
• Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (2011)

The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

• The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009)
• It's Not Summer Without You (2010)
• We'll Always Have Summer (2011)

Burn for Burn Trilogy

• Burn for Burn (2012)
• Fire with Fire (2013)
• Ashes to Ashes (2014)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy

• To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2014)
• P.S. I Still Love You (2015)
• Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017)

Selected Screen Credits

• To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) – Executive Producer
• To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) – Executive Producer
• To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021) – Executive Producer
• The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022–2025) – Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Co-Showrunner, Director
• XO, Kitty (2023–2026) – Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Showrunner