Claudia Kalb is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist who writes about science, psychology, and human behavior. She is the author of the new book, Spark: How Genius Ignites, From Child Prodigies to Late Bloomers (National Geographic Books: April 27, 2021). Claudia’s first book, Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities, was published in 2016. Her articles have appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Scientific American, Newsweek, and numerous other publications. Claudia’s most recent work includes a series of National Geographic cover stories on the science and origins of genius: “What Makes a Genius” (2017); “How Picasso’s Journey from Prodigy to Icon Revealed a Genius” (2018) and “Why Leonardo da Vinci’s Brilliance Endures, 500 Years After His Death” (2019).

 A former senior writer for Newsweek, Claudia wrote features and cover stories for the magazine for 17 years before becoming an independent journalist in 2011. Claudia’s reporting has received numerous awards, including a Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of New York for her cover story, “Girl or Boy? The New Science of Sex Selection.” Her story, “Battling a Black Epidemic,” was featured in Newsweek’s cover package, “AIDS at 25,” which was selected as a National Magazine Award finalist.

Born in Hong Kong, the daughter of an American journalist, Claudia has been steeped in news since childhood. She is passionate about innovative, informative and compelling storytelling and is known for combining in-depth and serious reporting with engaging, accessible writing. Claudia has appeared as a guest on national television and radio programs, spoken at professional and educational forums on science writing and the media, and engaged with readers on book tours.

Claudia graduated from Amherst College and received a master’s degree in International Affairs, with a specialization in media, from Columbia University. Claudia was awarded a Casey fellowship at the Journalism Center on Children & Families, a Boot Camp fellowship at the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, and a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.