In middle school, Calissa Ding was the kid constantly holed up in her room with a book. Now she writes stories where wonder meets the real world and where childhood intertwines with growing up. In her free time, she can be found searching for treasures in thrift stores, playing Chopin’s nocturnes on the piano, or consuming her umpteenth matcha latte of the day. She graduated from The Author Conservatory in 2024 with dual certification in Creative Writing & Publishing and Business & Entrepreneurship.