About the Author

Susan Isla Tepper has been a writer for twenty years and is the author of eleven published books of fiction and poetry, and four stage plays.  She writes in all genres, with stories, poems, interviews, essays and opinion columns published extensively worldwide. 

An award-winning author, Tepper received a Pulitzer Prize Nomination for the novel ‘What May Have Been’ (adapted for the stage and re-titled The Crooked Heart)this play premiered in a staged-reading at the Irish Repertory Theatre, NYC, on October 25, 2022. It was directed by Elmore James. 

 Other honors include winner in the Francis Ford Coppola Zoetrope Contest for the Novel (2003), Second Place Winner in Story/South Million Writers Award, winner of Best Story of 17 Years of Vestal Review which is the longest continually running flash fiction magazine in America, plus 19 Pushcart Prize Nominations. Her story ‘Africa… then’ was entered into Best American Suspense/Thriller Series by Gargoyle Magazine. 

Many of her works have been performed onstage. “Deer” the title story of her collection DEER & Other Stories (2009) was initially published at American Letters & Commentary, and went on to be performed at Inter/Act Theatre’s ‘Writing Aloud’ in Philadelphia, as well as NPR’s Selected Shorts. 

 For seven years Tepper was a panel moderator at the annual Hunter College Writer’s Conference.  

 She created and curated ‘FIZZ’ a popular reading series at KGB Bar, NYC, which ran for a decade and showcased the talents of our literary stars as well as many first time authors.  

Additionally, Tepper was co-editor of the Istanbul Literary Review until it ceased publication several years ago due to political turmoil in that country.

Before settling down to the writing life, Susan Isla Tepper trained at Erwin Piscator’s Dramatic Workshop, Neighborhood Playhouse, Bobby Lewis’s private workshop, and John Strasberg’s Real Stage. She was accepted into Actors Studio Directors Unit.  

She has worked as an actor, singer, flight attendant, Cable TV producer, airline marketing manager, interior designer, overseas tour guide and rescue worker. Tepper blames it all on a high interest range. She’s a native New Yorker.