Amara Sage writes contemporary, own-voice YA fiction that explores issues of body image, mental health, racial identity, and the impact that social media has on all of the above.

After completing her BA in Creative Writing, Amara went on to earn a distinction for her MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University, where she wrote the early drafts of her first novel.

She lives in her hometown of Bristol with her fiancé, Barney, and their two dog-sons, Albert and Desmond. She’s an avid yogi, a vegan home-cook, and practices sustainable living to the point of panic. Amara is also a slightly neglectful (but no less loving) plant mum.

Amara’s debut YA novel, Influential, was published from Faber in January 2023. A heart-felt, whip-smart deep dive into what it would really be like to be internet famous at 17, Influential is a cautionary tale for our time from a writer who has grown up with social media.

Praise for Influential:

“A deft and sobering novel about growing up with the internet, written with great skill by debut author Sage.”- The Bookseller

The Observer included Influential in their “2023 in Books: Highlights for the Year Ahead” article, as one of only five Children & Teen titles recommended amongst their picks for best fiction and non-fiction to look forward to in 2023, which includes authors from Zadie Smith to Margaret Atwood. Influential was listed in January’s recommendations, as a “YA debut about social media, internet fame and cancel culture, with a heroine whose parents have put her whole life online.”

Alongside the publication of Influential, Amara also wrote an article for Grazia UK on “Why I (Probably) Won’t Be Sharing Pictures of My Child Online”, exploring the realm of “family vloggers”. You can read Amara’s full article for Grazia online here.