Gary Shteyngart is a Soviet-born American novelist, memoirist, and essayist, celebrated for his sharp wit and satirical style. He graduated from Hunter College with an MFA in creative writing.

He is the author of acclaimed works and his debut novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, won the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction. His most recent novel, Our Country Friends, became a New York Times bestseller, and his books have been published in more than thirty countries.