About
Brandi Larsen is a writer, speaker, and coach creating a more inclusive publishing landscape.
As a publishing executive at Penguin Random House, Brandi's work helped books become bestsellers. As a journalist, her efforts earned Emmy nominations. As a speaker, her talks about publishing, leadership, and purpose inspire audiences from Zoom to Harvard. Her writing has been published widely in newspapers and magazines, literary journals, textbooks, industry guidelines, and even the internet. Brandi is the 2024 Writer in Residence at the William N. Skirball Writers’ Center, CCPL and is the co-writer of UNCULTURED: A Memoir (St. Martin's Press), which earned starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, was recommended by the New York Times (twice!), and nominated as a GoodReads Choice Award Best Memoir of the Year.
Brandi is passionate about helping her community. She serves as President Emeritus of Literary Cleveland, mentors caregivers through the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, and sponsors the annual Eileen Kleinert Memorial Scholarship. In her free time, she marries creative couples.
Find her online at BrandiLarsen.com and @brandilarsen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. And very, very occasionally on BookTok as @brandilarsenofficial.
Featured Work
UNCULTURED
Co-writer.
In the vein of Educated and The Glass Castle, Daniella Mestyanek Young's Uncultured is more than a memoir about an exceptional upbringing, but about a woman who, no matter the lack of tools given to her, is determined to overcome.
Recommended by the New York Times, Amazon, Apple, BuzzFeed, GoodReads, Spotify, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and BookPage, and nominated as one of the 2022 GoodReads Choice Awards best memoirs of the year.
Other Works
Awards and Recognition
- GoodReads Choice Awards, Best Memoir and Autobiography, nominee
- Point of Light, 2024 Award honoring individuals who change the world through volunteerism. Named "a beacon of hope and support for those facing the challenges of cholangiocarcinoma" and cited for "dedication to nurturing writers, amplifying diverse voices and enriching community through the power of storytelling" for work with Literary Cleveland.
- 2024 Cuyhaoga County Public Library William N. Skirball Writers' Center Writer in Residence, in recognition of outstanding writing and community impact.
