David Sedaris Bio, Age, Height, Partner, Salary, Net Worth, Chicago Public Radio
With a voice as dry as his wit, Raleigh-raised raconteur David Raymond Sedaris has spent four decades turning family dysfunction, dead-end jobs and global travel into bestselling literary gold.
From a Macy’s Christmas elf to a Thurber-Prize laureate, the 69-year-old essayist will release his 19th book and hit 50+ cities in 2026—proving that obsessive diary entries and biting one-liners never go out of style.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | David Raymond Sedaris |
| Profession | Humorist, Essayist, Radio Contributor |
| Birth Date | 26 December 1956 |
| Age (Jan 2026) | 69 years old |
| Birth Place | Johnson City, New York, USA |
| Hometown | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Known For | Me Talk Pretty One Day, Calypso, NPR’s This American Life |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | ≈143 lb (65 kg) |
| Hair Color | Grey (formerly light brown) |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Education | School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA, 1987) |
| Partner | Hugh Hamrick (1991–present, married 2019) |
| Parents | Lou Sedaris (IBM engineer), Sharon Sedaris (d. 1991) |
| Siblings | 5 (including Amy Sedaris) |
| Years Active | 1992–present |
| Net Worth 2026 | $10 million (est.) |
| Latest Book | The Land and Its People (May 26, 2026) |
| Children’s Book | The Selfish Sister (March 17, 2026) |
Early Life & Education
- Quirky Roots – born in up-state New York; family moved to Raleigh, NC when he was 3.
- Sanderson High – acted in plays, wrestled, realized he was gay.
- College Hopscotch – Western Carolina, Kent State (dropped out 1977), hitch-hiked America while writing diary entries on diner placemats.
- Art School – earned BFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1987.
Career Journey
1992-1999 – Radio Breakthrough
- “SantaLand Diaries” – NPR reading of his stint as a Macy’s Christmas elf became a viral radio classic.
- First book – Barrel Fever (1994) collected essays & stories.
2000-2010 – Mainstream Fame
- Blockbusters – Naked (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (2004) – all NYT #1.
- Thurber Prize – 2001 for American Humor.
2011-2020 – Global Storyteller
- BBC Radio 4 – annual “Meet David Sedaris” series since 2011.
- Diary volumes – Theft By Finding (2017), A Carnival of Snackery (2021).
- Academy honor – inducted into American Academy of Arts & Letters, 2019.
2021-Present – Brand Expansion
- Audie Award – 2023 for audiobook Happy-Go-Lucky.
- MasterClass – teaches storytelling & humor.
- 2026 pipeline – essay collection The Land and Its People (May 26) and first children’s book The Selfish Sister (March 17).
Awards & Achievements
- Thurber Prize for American Humor – 2001
- American Academy of Arts & Letters – inducted 2019
- Audie Award (Best Spoken Word) – 2023
- Grammy nominations – 5 (Best Comedy Album & Spoken Word)
- Over 16 million books in print, translated into 32 languages
Physical Statistics
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 143 lb (65 kg) |
| Shoe (US) | 9 |
| Dress size | Men’s S |
| Distinctive feature | High-pitched voice & glasses |
Personal Life
Long-Time Love
- Hugh Hamrick – illustrator & collaborator; together since 1991, married October 2019 at their Sussex farmhouse.
- Homes – resides primarily in Rackham, West Sussex, England; also keeps an apartment in NYC.
Family Ties
- Younger sister Amy Sedaris – actress & comedian; duo wrote plays as “The Talent Family,” including Obie-winning One Woman Shoe.
- Late mother Sharon – inspiration for many essays; died of cancer 1991.
Quirks & Hobbies
- Compulsive diary keeper (45+ volumes).
- Collects litter on rural English roads; turned habit into 2022 essay “A Carnival of Snackery.”
- Raises endangered hedgehogs in backyard garden.
Controversies
- Cultural satire critique – some LGBTQ+ advocates say early essays reinforced stereotypes; Sedaris has since acknowledged evolving language.
- Pricey tickets – 2026 tour seats reach $200+, sparking “elitist humor” debates on social media—he responds: “I’m cheaper than Hamilton and twice as funny.”
Favorites
| Category | Choice |
|---|---|
| Writing hours | 11 p.m. – 4 a.m. |
| Pen | Uni-ball Signo 0.38 black |
| Snack | Haribo gummy bears |
| City to tour | Tokyo (loves 7-Eleven onigiri) |
| Dead author | Ivy Compton-Burnett |
| Music while editing | Silence |
Salary & Net Worth 2026
- Book advances – reported $1–2 M per title (Little, Brown & Co.).
- Speaking fee – $75–100 K per live event (34-date spring 2026 tour).
- Royalties – backlist sells ≈400 K copies annually ≈$1.2 M/yr.
- Real estate – $3 M Sussex cottage, $1.2 M Manhattan co-op.
- Net worth (Jan 2026) – $10 million (Celebrity Net Worth consensus).
Interesting Facts
- Still hand-writes first drafts on legal pads, then types on 1990-era iMac (no internet).
- Once picked up 3,000 litter items in a single week; local council named a trash bin after him.
- Voice cameo in The Simpsons (2021) as himself—selling memoirs at a yard-sale.
- Buys a new diary every year from the same stationer in Athens, Greece.
- Has never learned to drive; relies on trains, taxis and Hugh.
Social Media Links
- Instagram: @davidsedaris (posts by assistant)
- Facebook: facebook.com/davidsedaris
- Twitter/X: no personal account (he calls it “the abyss”)
- MasterClass: David Sedaris teaches Storytelling & Humor
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is David Sedaris married?
A: Yes, he wed longtime partner Hugh Hamrick in 2019.
Q2: What is David Sedaris’ new book in 2026?
A: Essay collection The Land and Its People publishes May 26, 2026; children’s book The Selfish Sister arrives March 17.
Q3: Where does David Sedaris live?
A: Primarily in Rackham, West Sussex, England, with an NYC apartment for U.S. tours.
Q4: How many books has he sold?
A: Over 16 million copies worldwide across 32 languages.
Q5: Does he still tour?
A: Absolutely—50+ cities scheduled for Spring 2026, tickets on sale now.
Conclusion
David Sedaris has spun diary scribbles and department-store elfdom into a multi-million-dollar empire of laugh-out-loud empathy.
With two new books dropping in 2026 and a marathon tour stretching from Toronto to Tucson, the 69-year-old humorist proves that sharp observational wit only ripens with age.
If this mega-bio made you snort-laugh, share it with the friend who still quotes “Six to Eight Black Men.”
