[1] Szalai was born in Canada and attended the University of Toronto, where she studied political science and peace and conflict.
She holds a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics.
[7] Szalai is one of the three professional critics who write for The New York Times; the other two are Dwight Garner and Parul Sehgal.
Frank Rich referred to Szalai's review of Bob Woodward's book Rage, about the presidency of Donald Trump, as a "Didion-worthy dissection".
[8] In February 2023, Szalai wrote a similar review of The Courage to Be Free by Ron DeSantis.