diff --git a/fedireads/openlibrary.py b/fedireads/openlibrary.py
index 49b1e3bc..5a7fd799 100644
--- a/fedireads/openlibrary.py
+++ b/fedireads/openlibrary.py
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@ def book_search(query):
     for doc in data['docs'][:5]:
         key = doc['key']
         key = key.split('/')[-1]
+        author = doc.get('author_name') or ['Unknown']
         results.append({
             'title': doc.get('title'),
             'olkey': key,
             'year': doc.get('first_publish_year'),
-            'author': doc.get('author_name')[0],
+            'author': author[0],
         })
     return results
 
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ def get_or_create_book(olkey, user=None, update=False):
         author_id = author_id.split('/')[-1]
         book.authors.add(get_or_create_author(author_id))
 
-    if data['covers'] and len(data['covers']):
+    if data.get('covers') and len(data['covers']):
         book.cover.save(*get_cover(data['covers'][0]), save=True)
 
     return book
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/author.html b/fedireads/templates/author.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c54361e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fedireads/templates/author.html
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{% extends 'layout.html' %}
+{% load fr_display %}
+{% block content %}
+<div id="content">
+    <div>
+        <h2>{{ author.data.name }}</h2>
+        {% for book in books %}
+        <div class="book-preview">
+            {% include 'snippets/book.html' with book=book size=large description=True %}
+        </div>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+</div>
+{% endblock %}
+
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/snippets/book.html b/fedireads/templates/snippets/book.html
index 25259b6a..eec9b357 100644
--- a/fedireads/templates/snippets/book.html
+++ b/fedireads/templates/snippets/book.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 <p class="title">
     <a href="/book/{{ book.openlibrary_key }}">{{ book.data.title }}</a>
 </p>
-<p>by <a href="/author/{{ book.author.id }}" class="author">{{ book.authors.first.data.name }}</a></p>
+<p>by <a href="/author/{{ book.authors.first.openlibrary_key }}" class="author">{{ book.authors.first.data.name }}</a></p>
 
 {% if rating %}
 {{ rating | stars }} {{ rating }}
diff --git a/fedireads/urls.py b/fedireads/urls.py
index 390f6e63..7105089b 100644
--- a/fedireads/urls.py
+++ b/fedireads/urls.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(r'^user/(?P<username>[\w@\.]+)/?$', views.user_profile),
     re_path(r'^user/(?P<username>\w+)/edit/?$', views.user_profile_edit),
     re_path(r'^book/(?P<book_identifier>\w+)/?$', views.book_page),
+    re_path(r'^author/(?P<author_identifier>\w+)/?$', views.author_page),
 
     # internal action endpoints
     re_path(r'^review/?$', views.review),
diff --git a/fedireads/views.py b/fedireads/views.py
index 11c2a95d..87c0b3b6 100644
--- a/fedireads/views.py
+++ b/fedireads/views.py
@@ -190,6 +190,22 @@ def book_page(request, book_identifier):
     return TemplateResponse(request, 'book.html', data)
 
 
+@login_required
+def author_page(request, author_identifier):
+    ''' landing page for an author '''
+    try:
+        author = models.Author.objects.get(openlibrary_key=author_identifier)
+    except ValueError:
+        return HttpResponseNotFound()
+
+    books = models.Book.objects.filter(authors=author)
+    data = {
+        'author': author,
+        'books': books,
+    }
+    return TemplateResponse(request, 'author.html', data)
+
+
 @login_required
 def shelve(request, shelf_id, book_id, reshelve=True):
     ''' put a book on a user's shelf '''