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Who Was LJ Smith? Author Behind Hit The Vampire Diaries Books And Series Adaptations Dies at 66
L.J. Smith, the author of The Vampire Diaries, has passed away at 66. Her work inspired the hit TV series and left a lasting impact on readers.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of an individual's death.
L.J. Smith, the author of The Vampire Diaries novels, died at 66 on March 8 in Walnut Creek, California. Her partner, Julie Divola, confirmed her passing to The New York Times, stating that Smith died in a hospital after dealing with long-term symptoms of a rare autoimmune disease for over a decade. Her death was also confirmed on her official website.
Smith’s literary agent, John Silbersack, shared that she remained dedicated to writing despite her health struggles. “She had been quite ill, but despite the difficulties and the pain, she was fiercely dedicated to continuing to write,” Silbersack told The New York Times.
Born Lisa Jane Smith on September 4, 1958, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Smith moved with her family to Southern California at a young age. She later adopted her pen name as a tribute to her favorite fantasy writers, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
Smith attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a degree in experimental psychology in 1982. She worked as a kindergarten and special education teacher before becoming a full-time writer.
She began writing her first fantasy novel, The Night of the Solstice, while still in high school. This book caught the attention of Alloy Entertainment, a publishing company now owned by Warner Bros. They later hired Smith to create The Vampire Diaries as a young adult response to the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire.
The first book in the series was published in 1991. The story follows high school student Elena Gilbert, who finds herself in a love triangle with two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley). The books gained a strong following, especially after the CW network adapted them into a television series in 2009, starring Nina Dobrev as Elena.
Smith was initially unaware that her contract with Alloy Entertainment was a work-for-hire agreement. After writing the original Vampire Diaries novels, she was replaced by a ghostwriter, leading to a long break from publishing.
She later returned to writing in the 2010s, using fan fiction to continue developing her characters. Smith’s books were popular during the vampire fiction boom of the late 2000s and early 2010s, alongside franchises like Twilight and True Blood.
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