Judith Lewis better known by the pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American writer of young adult fiction. She is the author of several bestselling novels including The Mortal Instruments series and Infernal Devices trilogy. Her books have been adapted into a film and a television series. Her work has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, and she has received numerous awards and prizes.

Born as Judith Rumelt in Teheran, Iran to American Jewish parents Elizabeth and Richard Rumelt, she spent much of her childhood traveling the world with her family, trekking the Himalayas as a toddler and living in England and Switzerland for a few years before returning to Los Angeles. She developed an interest in writing and storytelling at an early age, and became fascinated by the stories she read while traveling.

After graduating from high school, she began writing fan fiction based on the Harry Potter series. This led her to write for various entertainment magazines and tabloids before she turned her attention to writing fiction full time. She contributed to a Baen anthology of humor fantasy with a short story titled “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” and later produced her first novel, City of Bones, which was the beginning of her Mortal Instruments trilogy.

She is a self-described book lover who often spends hours at a time immersed in her favorite works of literature. She finds inspiration in her own life and experiences, and tries to convey those experiences through her writing. Her characters have a similar passion for reading and enjoy quoting famous quotes from popular books and classics.