Kathryn Stockett is an American novelist, best known for her 2009 debut novel, The Help. The novel is set in the 1960s and explores the lives of African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi. The book was met with critical and commercial success, and it was later adapted into a highly acclaimed film released in 2011.

Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. She pursued her passion for English and creative writing at the University of Alabama, where she graduated with a degree in the field. After her academic pursuits, she moved to New York City and worked in magazine publishing for nine years, honing her skills and gathering experiences that would later influence her writing.

Currently, she resides in Atlanta with her husband and daughter and is known to be working on her second novel.