> Skip to content

Article  •  12 May 2016

 

John Green fast facts

10 things to know about The Fault in Our Stars author.

Fast Facts:

  1. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska.
  2. Upon leaving college he intended to become an Episcopal priest spending time working as a student chaplain.
  3. He worked for the book review journal Booklist as a publishing assistant and production editor.
  4. In 2007, John and his brother, Hank Green, began to talk primarily through video blogs posted to YouTube. The videos spawned a community of people called ‘nerdfighters,’ who fight for intellectualism and to decrease the overall worldwide level of suck.
  5. Green’s definition of a nerd is someone who is ‘enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.’
  6. His books have been published in more than twenty languages.
  7. Hank has produced the widely-loved Emmy Award-winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
  8. John is the recipient of the LA Times 2013 Innovator’s Award. This award is given to people and institutions doing cutting edge work to bring books, publishing and storytelling into the future.
  9. Recently helped crowded source financial advertising support for a UK soccer/football team.
  10. Has, together with Hank, raised well over 1.3m through their Project For Awesome annual charity fundraiser.

More features

See all
Article
10 things to know about the new book from John Green

Itching for more information about the new book from John Green? Us too. Here’s everything you need to know.

Article
QUIZ: Which Hawthorne brother is your soulmate?

Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.

Article
The Lottie Brooks books, in order

Don’t know which order to read the Lottie Brooks books? Find out which to read first, and learn a little bit about each book.

Article
Your guide to pre-ordering Alchemised

Learn how to pre-order Alchemised by SenLin Yu and join the thousands of readers who will start reading it on 23 September 2025.

Article
Penguin Picks for July: Books we've been loving

Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!

Article
Staff recommendations: Books we've been loving

Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!

Article
5 of the hottest YA books right now (2025)

Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.

Article
Best historical fiction books to read in 2025

From tales of Ancient Greece to epics set in the Second World War, these are the historical novels at the top of our reading piles this year.

Article
How to save money on groceries: 6 innovative budget tips

Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.

Article
20 books like The Let Them Theory

Finished The Let Them Theory and wondering what to read next? Check out this list of 20 suggested picks that will leave you feeling inspired and empowered.

Article
Mother's Day Memories: Penguin Authors

For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.

Article
Mother's Day Memories: Penguin Staff

For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles