Media Kit
Book Images
Headshots
Short bio
Wendy Lu is a journalist, a children’s book author, and a global speaker on disability representation in the media. For years, she has worked as an editor and a reporter covering disability, politics, and culture. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and more. She was named on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 for her efforts to improve disability coverage. Wendy is also the author of “Casting April,” a contemporary middle-grade novel from Penguin Random House about a talented disabled girl who loves all things Broadway — and who would do anything for the spotlight. She is represented by Abigail Frank at Greenburger Kids. Wendy lives in New York with her husband, Andrew, and their turtle, Little Cloud.
Long bio
Wendy Lu is a journalist, a children’s book author, and a global speaker on disability representation in the media. For years, she has worked as an editor and a reporter covering disability, politics, and culture. She has written for Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Bustle, Columbia Journalism Review, and more.
Her debut middle-grade novel, “Casting April,” comes out from Penguin Random House in June 2026. The book follows a talented 12-year-old girl named April who is determined to land the starring role in her school's play — except nobody believes she can do it because of her disability. The story is based on Wendy's own experiences of doing theater as a kid and growing up with a disability.
When she’s not writing fiction, Wendy works as a deputy editor at The New York Times. She is also on the advisory board for the National Center on Disability and Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Previously, Wendy was an editor and reporter at HuffPost covering disability, politics and culture. She was named on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 for her efforts to improve disability coverage. In 2020, Wendy was featured on Diversability's D-30 Disability Impact List, which recognizes the top 30 disability leaders in the world. She is also a recipient of the Knight Visiting Nieman Fellowship; Columbia Journalism School’s First Decade Award; and the Disability Futures Fellowship. Past speaking engagements include Princeton University, Harvard Kennedy School, the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, the Asian American International Film Festival, NYU Abu Dhabi, and more.
Wendy grew up in Boston and eastern North Carolina, and spent her childhood summers in Shanghai. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism. She lives in New York with her husband, Andrew, and their turtle, Little Cloud. Learn more about her work at wendyluwrites.com or on her Instagram @wendyluwrites.
