About Me

Close-up of a smiling woman with light skin and shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses and a beige top, with jewelry including a necklace and pendant.

Hi, I'm Natali Petricic.

I'm a writer, teacher, and book fan. My fiction has appeared in Joyland, Santa Monica Review, The Common, and other literary journals. My novella, Leaf Boats, is included in the Running Wild Novella Anthology. I was honored to be a PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, and then a PEN MARK program participant.

Storytelling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In first grade, I published my first short story in a class book. It was about our classroom chick and the chaos that erupted after the students left for the day. I've been making up stories ever since.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and now live in Southern California with my husband, son, and a grumpy, but somehow, adorable dog. Before becoming a teacher, I worked in educational and theater marketing.

Many of my stories are inspired by family, identity, and place. As the daughter of Croatian immigrants, I feel connected to the country and have visited ten times. I love exploring new places, writing in cafés, and spending an evening at the theater.

When I'm not writing or teaching, you can usually find me searching for the perfect almond croissant, celebrating all things big and small with a slice of cake, or browsing in a book shop.