Karl Beckstrand

Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling author-illustrator of 50+ cross-cultural children's and young adult books published through Premio Publishing and its KidsWorldBooks imprint (est. 2004, St. George, Utah). His titles have been reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal, and adopted by the Library of Congress, the USDA (via Virginia Tech), and the State of Vermont for primary school curriculum. He has won the 2025 Global Book Award for Nonfiction (Abundant Paths), the 2016 International Book Award for Fiction (To Swallow the Earth: A Western Thriller), and the 2014 UP Author's Design Award (Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story). His biography Agnes's Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl is tied to the 2011 film 17 Miracles.

Raised in San Jose, California, Beckstrand earned a B.A. in Journalism from Brigham Young University, an M.A. in International Relations and Conflict Resolution from American Public University, and a film and broadcast certificate from the Film A Academy. He taught college media for eleven years and English to immigrants in North and South America. Before founding Premio, he was a technical recruiter in Silicon Valley, a Stanford Hospital chaplain, a Spanish interpreter for Angel Flight (aviator nonprofit), and a rock band front man. He consults in English and Spanish on publishing and cross-cultural education.