Spitfire

Evan L. Balkan is the author of six books of nonfiction, including The Wrath of God: Lope de Aguirre; Revolutionary of the Americas (Univ. of New Mexico Press) as well as many essays and short stories in an array of publications including Page and Spine and Cargo Literary Magazine. His screenplay Spitfire, adapted from his novel of the same name, won both the 2016 Baltimore Screenwriters Competition and a Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund Fellowship; his screenplay Children of Disobedience won the 2017 Baltimore Screenwriting Competition. He is a co-writer for the television series, Wayward Girls, which shot its pilot in fall 2017.

He holds degrees in the humanities from Towson, George Mason, and Johns Hopkins universities. He has served as a guest lecturer at Yale, Johns Hopkins, Bryn Mawr and many other institutions.

Spitfire, a Middle Grade book about a hockey-loving girl who refuses to be bullied, is Evan's first novel. Set during the Korean War, the story deals with issues surrounding family, loss, sexism, racism, and determination.