William Paul Young

William Paul Young was born on May 11, 1955, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. He spent the majority of his first ten years living with his missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea, among the Dani people. This experience exposed him to a unique cultural environment at a young age. At six years old, he was sent to a boarding school. Young initially wrote as a means to create gifts for his friends, a practice that eventually laid the groundwork for his future writing career. His personal writing evolved into a significant professional endeavor.

His career saw a significant turning point when his wife encouraged him to write something for their six children. This effort aimed to articulate his perspectives on God and the personal healing experiences he had undergone as an adult. The resulting manuscript became “The Shack.” Initially, only 15 copies of the book were printed for his children and a few close friends. With encouragement from friends, he sought broader publication. After being rejected by 26 publishers, Young and his friends formed Windblown Media in 2007 to self-publish “The Shack.” The company invested only C$200 in advertising, relying primarily on word-of-mouth. This approach proved successful, leading “The Shack” to achieve significant recognition.

“The Shack” became a number one New York Times trade paperback fiction best-seller in June 2008 and was the top-selling fiction and audio book of 2008 in America through November 30. His subsequent works include “Cross Roads,” published on November 13, 2012, by FaithWords, and “Eve,” released on September 15, 2015, by Howard Books. His book, “Lies We Believe About God,” followed on March 7, 2017. These publications further established his presence in the literary world.