Shelby Van Pelt at a Glance

Full Name: Shelby Van Pelt

Pronunciation: SHEL-bee van PELT

Nationality: United States

Education:

• Claremont McKenna College (Politics, Philosophy, Economics)

Genres:

• Humorous fiction

Biography & Background

Shelby Van Pelt Biography

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a varied education in philosophy, politics, and economics. Long before she considered writing a novel, she worked as a consultant for almost 10 years. After moving away from her beloved home in Tacoma, Washington, her interests shifted toward writing. Although her debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures enjoyed near-instant success upon publication in 2022, her writing process began years earlier when she spontaneously researched octopuses out of idle curiosity.

This interest led to a moment of inspiration during a writing class, when the instructor challenged everyone to write a scene from an unusual point of view. In this moment, the rudiments of Van Pelt’s eight-legged protagonist, Marcellus, was born. Over the years, she continued developing the story of an octopus in captivity who observes the quirks and foibles of the humans nearby. Upon publication, Remarkably Bright Creatures garnered considerable recognition, selling over 2 million copies and spending over a year on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller list.