Robert Kolker

Robert Kolker is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a #1 New York Times bestselling author of narrative nonfiction whose work has been published in 19 countries and 12 languages. His most recent book, "Hidden Valley Road” (2020), was selected for Oprah's Book Club and was a top ten book of the year for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; People magazine's No. 1 book of the year; and featured in President Barack Obama’s list of favorite books of the year. His first book book, "Lost Girls” (2013), called one the greatest works of nonfiction in the last 25 years by Slate, was adapted into a feature film for Netflix and put pressure on police to make an arrest in a decade-old criminal case. 

Before joining the Times, Kolker published articles for New York magazine, the Atlantic, Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many other outlets. He is a National Magazine Award finalist and a recipient of the 2011 Harry Frank Guggenheim Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In 2021, his article, “Who Is The Bad Art Friend?" became a viral hit and the New York Times Magazine's most read story of the year. A feature story for New York magazine about a public-school embezzling scandal was the basis for another feature film, "Bad Education," starring Hugh Jackman.