Lauren Weisberger

Lauren Weisberger
Name	Lauren Weisberger
Birth date	28 March 1977
Birth place	Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	Cornell University
Occupation	Novelist
Notable works	The Devil Wears Prada
Spouse	Mike Cohen (m. 2008)

Lauren Weisberger is an American author best known for her blockbuster debut novel, The Devil Wears Prada, a roman à clef inspired by her experiences as an assistant to Anna Wintour, the formidable editor-in-chief of Vogue. The book became an international bestseller and was adapted into a highly successful 20th Century Fox film starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Weisberger has since built a successful career writing contemporary fiction, often exploring themes of ambition, friendship, and the complexities of modern professional and personal life in New York City and beyond.

Early life and education

Lauren Weisberger was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and grew up there, attending local schools before pursuing higher education. She graduated from Cornell University, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and earned a degree in English. Following her graduation, her career path led her to the epicenter of the publishing and fashion worlds in Manhattan, setting the stage for her future literary work. Her time at Cornell University provided a strong foundation in literature and writing, which she would later leverage in her novels.

Career

After college, Weisberger's first significant job was as the assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue, an experience that famously provided the direct inspiration for her first novel. She later worked as a writer and editor for other publications, including Departures and The New York Observer, honing her skills in journalism. Her debut, The Devil Wears Prada, was published in 2003 by Broadway Books, a division of Random House, and became an instant cultural phenomenon. This success established her as a prominent voice in commercial fiction, leading to a series of subsequent novels published by major houses like Simon & Schuster, which continue to explore the lives of ambitious women navigating careers in fields like public relations, television, and literature.

Personal life

Lauren Weisberger married Mike Cohen, a financial analyst, in 2008. The couple has two children and divides their time between New York City and Bridgehampton, New York. She is known to be a dedicated supporter of various literacy and educational charities. Her life on Long Island and in Connecticut, where she has also lived, often informs the suburban and vacation settings in her later works, providing a contrast to the high-pressure Manhattan environments depicted in her earlier books.

Works

Weisberger's bibliography is centered on popular contemporary fiction. Her major works include her debut, The Devil Wears Prada (2003), followed by Everyone Worth Knowing (2005), Chasing Harry Winston (2008), and Last Night at Chateau Marmont (2010). She revisited the world of her most famous character with a sequel, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (2013). Later novels include The Singles Game (2016), which delves into the world of professional tennis, and When Life Gives You Lululemons (2018), which features characters from her first novel. Her most recent works are Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty (2021) and The Wives (2024).

Adaptations

The most significant adaptation of Weisberger's work is the 2006 20th Century Fox film The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankel and starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs. The film was a major critical and commercial success, receiving nominations for awards including the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award. The movie's soundtrack featured artists like Madonna and Alanis Morissette, and its cultural impact solidified the story's place in popular culture. Other works, such as When Life Gives You Lululemons, have been optioned for television development, indicating ongoing interest in adapting her stories for the screen.

Reception and legacy

Lauren Weisberger's work has received a mixed critical reception, often praised for its sharp, entertaining insights into specific professional milieus but sometimes critiqued for its genre conventions. Commercially, however, she is undeniably successful, with her novels consistently appearing on bestseller lists like The New York Times Best Seller list. Her primary legacy is inextricably linked to The Devil Wears Prada, which became a defining novel and film about the early 2000s fashion industry and workplace dynamics, influencing a wave of similar "chick lit" and inspiring countless discussions about mentorship and ambition. She remains a significant figure in contemporary American popular fiction.

Category:American novelists Category:Writers from Pennsylvania Category:Cornell University alumni Category:1977 births