Valerie Wilson Wesley
Encyclopedia
Valerie Wilson Wesley is an African-American author
of mysteries
, adult-theme novels, and children's books, and a former executive editor of Essence
magazine. She is the author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series. Her writings, both fiction and non-fiction, have also appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Family Circle
, TV Guide
, Ms., The New York Times
, and the Swiss
weekly magazine Die Weltwoche
.
. She graduated from Howard University
and earned masters degrees from the Bank Street College of Education
and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is married to playwright Richard Wesley
and the mother of two daughters.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of mysteries
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
, adult-theme novels, and children's books, and a former executive editor of Essence
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
magazine. She is the author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series. Her writings, both fiction and non-fiction, have also appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Family Circle
Family Circle
Family Circle is an American women's magazine published 15 times a year by Meredith Corporation. It began publication in 1932 as a magazine distributed at supermarkets such as Piggly Wiggly and Safeway. Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting bought the magazine in 1962. The New York Times Company bought...
, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, Ms., The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
weekly magazine Die Weltwoche
Die Weltwoche
Die Weltwoche is a Swiss weekly magazine based in Zürich. It is privately owned by Roger Köppel. The magazine's regular columnists of note include the former president of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, Peter Bodenmann, as well as Christoph Mörgeli MP, a leading figure of the right...
.
Background
Wesley was born in ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. She graduated from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
and earned masters degrees from the Bank Street College of Education
Bank Street College of Education
Bank Street College of Education is located in Manhattan, New York City.-History:Bank Street was founded in 1916 by Lucy Sprague Mitchell as the "Bureau of Educational Experiments"....
and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is married to playwright Richard Wesley
Richard Wesley
Richard Wesley is an African American playwright, and screenwriter for television and cinema. He is an associate professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he is presently the chair of the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing.Wesley was born in Newark, New...
and the mother of two daughters.
Published books
- Afro-Bets Book of Black Heroes from A to Z: An introduction to important Black achievers for young readers, with Wade Hudson (1988, Orange, New Jersey: Just Us Books, ISBN 0-940975-02-5)
- When Death Comes Stealing, a Tamara Hayle mystery (1994, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, ISBN 0-399-13949-4)
- Devil's Gonna Get Him, a Tamara Hayle mystery (1996, New York: Avon Books, ISBN 0-380-72492-8)
- Where Evil Sleeps, a Tamara Hayle mystery (1996, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, ISBN 0-399-14145-6)
- Freedom's Gifts: A Juneteenth story, illustrated by Sharon Wilson (1997, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, ISBN 0-689-80269-2)
- No Hiding Place, a Tamara Hayle mystery (1997, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, ISBN 0-399-14318-1)
- Easier to Kill, a Tamara Hayle mystery (1998, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, ISBN 0-399-14445-5)
- Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do (1999, New York: Avon Books, ISBN 0-380-97703-6)
- The Devil Riding (2000, New York: Putnam, ISBN 0-399-14617-2)
- Always True to You in My Fashion (2002, New York: William Morrow, ISBN 0-06-018883-9)
- How to Lose Your Class Pet, illustrated by Maryn Roos (2003, New York: Jump at the Sun, ISBN 0-7868-1322-9)
- Dying in the Dark: A Tamara Hayle mystery (2004, New York: One World Ballantine Books, ISBN 0-345-46806-6)
- How to Fish for Trouble, illustrated by Maryn Roos (2004, New York: Jump at the Sun, ISBN 0-7868-1807-7)
- How to Lose Your Cookie Money, illustrated by Maryn Roos (2004, New York: Jump at the Sun, ISBN 0-7868-5146-5)
- 23 Ways to Mess up Valentine's Day (2005, New York: Jump at the Sun, ISBN 0-7868-5524-X)
- How to (almost) Ruin Your School Play, illustrated by Maryn Roos (2005, New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, ISBN 1-4155-7357-3)
- Playing My Mother's Blues (2005, New York: William Morrow, ISBN 0-06-018882-0)
Awards and honors
- 1993 – Griot Award from the New York Chapter of the National Association of Black JournalistsNational Association of Black JournalistsThe National Association of Black Journalists is an organization of African American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C...
- 1995 – Nominee for Shamus AwardShamus AwardThe Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novels and short stories of the year....
for Best First P.I. Novel (When Death Comes Stealing) - 2000 – Excellence in Adult Fiction award from the Black Caucus of the American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
External links
- Valerie Wilson Wesley web site
- "BIBR talks to Valerie Wilson Wesley – Interview", interview by Linda Jones in Black Issues Book ReviewBlack Issues Book ReviewBlack Issues Book Review was a bimonthly magazine published in the U.S. in which books of interest to African-American readers were reviewed. It was published from 1999 through 2007....
, November-December, 2002.