T. J. Newman

Torri Jan Newman (born 1984 (age 37)), better known as T. J. Newman, is an American author and former flight attendant.

Early life
Newman grew up in Mesa, Arizona. She studied musical theatre at Illinois Wesleyan University, graduating in 2006.

Career
Following her studies, Newman moved to New York City to pursue an acting career, but was unsuccessful. After two years, Newman returned to her parents' home in Phoenix and worked at Changing Hands, an independent bookshop, until 2011. She worked at Virgin America and Alaska Airlines until she was furloughed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2021, Newman published her debut novel Falling. The novel was rejected by 41 agents before being accepted by Shane Salerno. It debuted at #2 on The New York Times bestseller list. The film rights for the novel were sold to Universal and Working Title for $1.5 million, with Newman set to write the script.

In June 2023, Newman released her second book, titled Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421. A bidding war for the movie rights to the novel took place in March, with figures such as Nicole Kidman, Alfonso Cuarón and Steven Spielberg expressing interest. That November, it was announced that a film adaptation of the book would be directed, adapted and produced by Paul Greengrass for Warner Bros.

In April 2024, Newman signed a multimillion dollar deal with Little Brown after previously publishing through Simon & Schuster. Her first novel with Little Brown, Worst Case Scenario, is set to debut in August.

Personal life
Newman's mother and sister are also flight attendants.