His debut novel, The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, won the 2023 Golden Kite Award.
[1] He received a bachelor's degree in English secondary education and music from the University of Iowa in 2013, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in children's and young adult literature from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
[1] Leali began his career working in marketing for the Oswegoland Park District; he was also the administrative director for the Limelight Theatre Company.
After teaching there for a few years, he changed positions regularly, including working with independent bookshops.
[1] Leali published his debut novel, The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, with HarperCollins in 2022.