“We think of the 1950s as an oppressive time in the culture, and indeed it was, but it was also in many ways a more secular moment, and one in which great scientific achievements flourished. I don't want to get too gauzy about this, but there was much more respect for science as a necessary part of society.”

American novelist, editor, and travel writer

Hanya Yanagihara is an American novelist, editor, and travel writer. She grew up in Hawaii and is known for her fiction and editorial work. She is best known for the bestselling novel A Little Life, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Booker Prize. Yanagihara also served as editor-in-chief of T Magazine, and her work has reached readers through both long-form fiction and magazine writing.