Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier
Born	(1962-10-19) October 19, 1962 Washington, D.C.
Occupation	Writer
Language	English
Nationality	American and British
Citizenship	United States
Education	Bachelor's degree in English; Master's degree in Creative Writing
Alma mater	Oberlin College, University of East Anglia
Genres	Historical fiction
Notable work(s)	Girl with a Pearl Earring
Spouse(s)	Jonathan Drori
Children	1
Relative(s)	Douglas Chevalier
www.tchevalier.com
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Tracy Chevalier (born October 19, 1962) is an American historical novelist. She has written seven novels. She is best known for her second novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was made into a 2003 film, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.

Personal background

Tracy Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962 in Washington, D.C.^[1] She is the daughter of Douglas and Helen (née Werner) Chevalier. Her father was a photographer who worked with The Washington Post for over 30 years. Her mother died in 1970, when Chevalier was eight years old.^[2] Chevalier has an older sister, Kim Chevalier, who resides in Soulan, France; and a brother, Michael Chevalier, who lives in Salida, Colorado.^[3] As of 2013, Chevalier lives in London with her husband, Jonathan Drori^[4] and son, Jacob.^[2][5]

She graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland in 1980. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in English from Oberlin College in 1984, she moved to England, where she began working in publishing. In 1993, she began studying Creative Writing, earning a Master's degree from the University of East Anglia. Her tutors included novelists Malcolm Bradbury and Rose Tremain,^[5] while her fellow students who went on to be published include Martyn Bedford and Susan Elderkin.^{[citation needed]}

Professional background

Following her graduation from Oberlin College, Chevalier moved to England, where she began working as an editorial assistant with Macmillan's Dictionary of Art, then later joined St. James Press, serving as a reference book editor.^[6]

Her first novel, The Virgin Blue, was published in the UK in 1997 and was chosen by W H Smith for their showcase of new authors.^[7] Her second novel, entitled Girl with a Pearl Earring, was published in 1999. The work, which was based on the famous painting by Vermeer, has been translated into 38 languages. As of 2013, it has sold over four million copies worldwide.^{[citation needed]} It won the Barnes and Noble Discover Award in 2000.^[8] In 2003, a film based on the novel was released, receiving three Academy Award nominations in 2004, along with ten BAFTAs and two Golden Globes. Her 2013 novel, The Last Runaway was honored with the Ohioana Book Award^[9] and was chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club for autumn 2013.^[10]

Memberships

Chevalier has been involved in representing authors as a member of various community organizations. In 2006, she began serving as the chairperson for the Management Committee for the UK's Society of Authors, serving in that capacity for two years.^{[citation needed]} In 2008, she joined the Advisory Board of the UK's Public Lending Right, while as serving as Patron of World Book Night.^{[citation needed]} Girl with a Pearl Earring was chosen as one of the books given away in both the US and UK for World Book Night 2013. She is also an Ambassador for the Woodland Trust, where her husband serves as a member of the board of directors.^{[citation needed]}

Honors and awards

• 1997: WH Smith Fresh Talent for The Virgin Blue^{[citation needed]}
• 2000: Barnes and Noble Discover Award for Girl with a Pearl Earring^[8]
• 2008: Fellow, Royal Society of Literature^{[citation needed]}
• 2013: Ohioana Book Award, for The Last Runaway^[9]
• 2013: Richard and Judy Book Club book for The Last Runaway^[10]
• 2013: Honorary Doctorate, Oberlin College and University of East Anglia^{[citation needed]}

Published works

• The Virgin Blue (1997) ISBN 978-0452284449
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (1999) ISBN 978-0525945277
• Falling Angels (2001) ISBN 978-0525945819
• The Lady and the Unicorn (2003) ISBN 978-0007140909
• Burning Bright (2007) ISBN 978-0007245130
• Remarkable Creatures (2009) ISBN 978-0007178377
• The Last Runaway (2013) ISBN 978-0525952992

References