This week, host Rumaan Alam talks to author Stuart Gibbs, who writes mystery novels for young readers. Stuart’s work includes the FunJungle series and other collections like the Spy School and Charlie Thorne books. In the interview, Stuart discusses his career beginnings and the literary agent who encouraged him to try writing for a younger audience. He also talks about his writing process, getting pointers from his own kids, and how he’s able to produce multiple titles per year. 

After the interview, Rumaan and co-host June Thomas talk about Stuart’s unique relationship with his readers. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Rumaan’s son shares what he loves about Stuart’s books. 

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Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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