Willy Vlautin has published seven novels. They include The Motel Life (2007), which was The New York Times Editors’ Choice and Notable Book, and was made into a major motion picture starring Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsh, Stephen Dorff, and Kris Kristofferson; Northline (2008); Lean on Pete (2010), which won the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction, was short-listed for the IMPAC award, and is soon to be a film starring Steve Buscemi and Chloe Sevigny; The Free (2014), winner of the Oregon People’s Choice Award; and Don't Skip Out On Me (2018). The Night Always Comes was released in April 2021. His most recent novel, The Horse (2024), was named a finalist for the 2025 Oregon Book Awards. His work has been translated into eight languages. Willy founded the bands Richmond Fontaine in 1994 and The Delines in 2014, featuring vocalist Amy Boone (The Damnations). He currently resides in Scappoose, Oregon.