
Author Sarah Glenn Marsh
Sarah Glenn Marsh was born to write and to create fantastic worlds.
A Charlottesville native who now lives in Glen Allen, Marsh got her first library card when she was very young. She read a book a day and got in touch with her imagination. The library was a “safe, welcoming community,” says Marsh, the author of 28 titles that are either published, on the way or under contract.
Marsh began writing in the first grade. She remembers penning little stories about an imaginary dog, sparked by her strong desire to have a pup of her own. Eventually, her parents got the hint and gave her a cute beagle mix. The experience made Marsh realize that her writing had power and the words she used could influence people, if chosen correctly.
A creative writing class she took as a freshman at Albemarle High School inspired Marsh to keep writing. A short story she had turned in came back from her teacher covered with pen marks — all compliments. “I still have that copy of the story with those pen marks to look back on,” she says.
Marsh’s father introduced her to the world of fantasy by giving her a used copy of “The Hobbit” when she was 10. “When I read ‘The Hobbit’ for the first time, it changed my perspective. I realized [the author] had made his own world,” she says. “I became an avid fantasy reader.”
During her teen years, Marsh wrote online fan fiction, a genre that allows contributors to write stories in established imaginary worlds. “You can let yourself go. That’s important for refreshing that creative joy, for refilling the well,” she says. “You are able to play, and play is really important. I still do it to this day, but I do it anonymously.”
Marsh went on to attend the University of Mary Washington, majoring in elementary education. Despite her years of writing, she didn’t realize it was a viable career option. “To me, that seemed unattainable,” she says. “I planned on being a public school teacher.”
After graduating, Marsh moved to Richmond but couldn’t find a teaching position. She took temporary jobs and decided to write her first fantasy novel. “It was a hot mess. I didn’t know what I was doing,” she says. She couldn’t find an agent willing to work with her, and the novel was never published, though Marsh says she has written several versions of the story and it may be released in some form in the future.
It was a different story for Marsh’s second book; represented by an agent, she sold her debut young adult novel, “Fear the Drowning Deep.” The historical fantasy about sea monsters was published in 2016 and named an NPR Great Read for the year. Another YA title, “Reign of the Fallen,” followed in 2018; both books now have sequels. Marsh’s first adult novel, “We Could Be Anti-Heroes,” will be published in 2026. She never ended up getting a teaching job.
Marsh has also written a number of picture books for “littles,” as she calls young readers. “Picture books are more challenging because you have to tell a complete story in such a small amount of words, usually 500 to 700 [compared to a fantasy novel with 100,000 or more words],” says Marsh, who dedicates many of her books to her 3-year-old daughter, Dawn. “It’s a different way of thinking. You are relying half on the illustrator to help tell the story.”
Her latest picture book is “Bigfoot’s Big Heart,” a Valentine’s Day tale that Marsh describes as an anthem for a lovable weirdo, someone who feels they don’t fit in. “I can relate to that. I was always the kid daydreaming,” says Marsh, who is queer and feels that navigating life as a queer person is very different from the norm. “I am a lovable weirdo. We are all lovable weirdos in our own way.”
One of her favorite projects was a picture book called “Ninita’s Big World: The True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset” about a tiny orphaned monkey that became a YouTube star. Marsh visited the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Florida where Ninita lived and met the adorable marmoset. “She did my hair, and it was not a good look,” Marsh says, laughing. “She had a remarkable life because she made the best of her life. It was an inspiring story.”
Two more of Marsh’s works are set to hit bookstores this spring. She contributed a story to “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold,” an anthology of tales based on the roleplaying game, due March 4, and her “How to Spot a Magical Woodland Creature: A Field Guide to Enchanted Forest Animals,” the second book in her mythical guidebook series for middle grade children, will be released April 1. Another “How to Spot” guide is scheduled for a June release.
Marsh chalks up a lot of her creativity to her varied interests, which include rescuing greyhounds, riding horses, falconry, video and roleplaying games, world travel, and wheel-thrown pottery. “It helps to do different creative things,” she says.
Writing has been a gift, Marsh adds. “It has allowed me to get to meet so many people and take adventures. It has allowed me to live other lives. It has taken me all kinds of places I would never have gone, and I feel like a richer person for having all these experiences.”
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