Mary Winn

Heider

Children’s & Middle Grade Author

Musical Performer and Writer

Travels from: Chicago, IL

“A winning combination of adventure, comedy, and whodunit.” — Lincoln Peirce, New York Times bestselling author

Mary Winn Heider has published 27 books, performed Off-Broadway, worked on a train in Alaska, and ridden her bike around Lake Michigan. Her books have been on state lists, appeared on Bank Street Best Books, received Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection status, been long-listed for the Edgar Award, and landed on Indies Introduce and Indie Next lists.

Mary Winn is the author of The Mortification of Fovea Munson based on her real life experiences working in a cadaver lab; she also wrote the book of the FOVEA musical for the Kennedy Center production in 2023. She is currently hard at work with the same creative team (Justin Huertas and Steven Tran) on a new musical, also for the Kennedy Center.

Mary Winn’s other novels include The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy as well as The Stupendous Switcheroo series (co-created with Chad Sell). Her picture book The Unicorns Who Saved Christmas was illustrated by Christian Cornia, and she has pseudonymously authored three chapter book series from Little Simon. Her graphic novel Bugged, a comedy-horror love letter to the theater comes out in 2025, and she’s applying to go on a scientific expedition to Antarctica for her current work-in-progress. Mary Winn has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from South Carolina, she now lives in Chicago, where she helps support the creative writing residences of PlayMakers Lab.

Mary Winn's Featured Titles

We All Have Superpowers

Inspired by THE STUPENDOUS SWITCHEROO series, Mary Winn discusses the creative teamwork that led to the series, how we all feel about heroes vs. villains, and most importantly, the everyday superpowers we all have.

Small or large groups, grades 3-6
45-60 minutes

Do No Harm

STEM meets STEAM in this talk based on THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON. Mary Winn’s job in a real life cadaver lab surrounded by actual cadavers led to both a novel and a musical– but it also taught her a lot about life and how we can take care of each other.

Small or large groups, grades 3-8
45-60 minutes

Bring on the Baddies! (Invent Your Own Villain Workshop)

After an in-depth discussion of what makes a villain work, students craft their own villains and write scenes where we get to see to see those villains in action.

Small groups, grades 4-6
45 minutes

Sing Out, Louise! (From Page to Stage Workshop)

Students learn and implement the basics of adapting a written story into a musical. This is a multi-day workshop, and can be tailored to several different scenarios, depending on whether the students will be adapting their own work or a published text.

Small groups, grades 7-8

“While Heider is blessed with an ability to plumb plot out of chaos…it’s her talent for pulling a 180 and then drawing heart out of that same chaotic mix that really puts her on the map. In an era of information overload, Mary Winn Heider is the author who will lead us through the pandemonium into the light.” — Betsy Bird, Fuse #8, School Library Journal

“Heider deftly balances screwball action and humor with poignancy and even profundity.” — Horn Book

Mary Winn’s “For Kids” Link

Losers Book Club Guide

Honors, Awards & Recognition

THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON
Indies Introduce
Indies next
Edgar Award Long List
Junior Library Guild
Illinois Reads 2019
Bank Street Best Books 2019

THE LOSERS AT THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY
Bank Street Best Books 2022
Evanston Public Library Best Books 2021
Oregon Public Library Battle of the Books 2024-5
Starred Reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal

THE STUPENDOUS SWITCHEROO SERIES
Colorado Children’s Book Award Nomination 2025
Illinois Reads 2024

Media clips

School Library Journal | Review of the Day: Losers at the Center of the Galaxy by Mary Winn Heider

Block Club Chicago | Children’s Book ‘The Stupendous Switcheroo’ By Local Author Celebrates Launch This Week

American Bookseller Association | An Indies Introduce Q&A With Mary Winn Heider

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.