Tracy Chevalier
Encyclopedia
Tracy Chevalier is a bestselling historical novel
ist. She lives in London
with her husband and son.
Chevalier was raised in Washington, D.C and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
in Bethesda, Maryland
. After receiving her B.A.
in English from Oberlin College
, she moved to England
in 1984 where she worked several years as a reference book editor. Leaving her job in 1993, she began a year-long M.A in creative writing at the University of East Anglia
. Her tutors on the course were novelists Malcolm Bradbury
and Rose Tremain
.
Her career began with the book The Virgin Blue but she became known with her novel Girl with a Pearl Earring
, a book based on the creation of the famous painting
by Vermeer. The film based on the novel
received three Academy Award
nominations in 2004. Burning Bright, published in March 2007, concerns two children who become neighbours of William Blake
in London in 1792. Her latest novel is Remarkable Creatures, based on the life of the English 19th-century fossil collector Mary Anning
.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
ist. She lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her husband and son.
Chevalier was raised in Washington, D.C and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School is a Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, public school named for two of the towns it serves along with Kensington and Silver Spring, Maryland. It is located at 4301 East-West Highway, in Bethesda, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. After receiving her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, she moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1984 where she worked several years as a reference book editor. Leaving her job in 1993, she began a year-long M.A in creative writing at the University of East Anglia
UEA Creative Writing Course
The University of East Anglia's Creative Writing Course was founded by Sir Malcolm Bradbury and Sir Angus Wilson in 1970. The M.A. is widely regarded as the most prestigious and successful in the country and competition for places is notoriously tough....
. Her tutors on the course were novelists Malcolm Bradbury
Malcolm Bradbury
Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury CBE was an English author and academic.-Life:Bradbury was the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 with his brother and mother...
and Rose Tremain
Rose Tremain
Rose Tremain CBE is an English author.-Life:Rose Tremain was born Rosemary Jane Thomson on August 2, 1943 in London and attended Francis Holland School then Crofton Grange School from 1954 to 1961; the Sorbonne from 1961–1962; and graduated from the University of East Anglia in 1965 where she then...
.
Her career began with the book The Virgin Blue but she became known with her novel Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring (novel)
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 1999 historical novel written by Tracy Chevalier. Set in 17th century Delft, Holland, the novel was inspired by Delft school painter Johannes Vermeer's painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. Chevalier presents a fictional account of Vermeer, the model, and the painting...
, a book based on the creation of the famous painting
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a painting by Johannes Vermeer.Girl With a Pearl Earring may also refer to:* Girl with a Pearl Earring , by Tracy Chevalier* Girl with a Pearl Earring...
by Vermeer. The film based on the novel
Girl with a Pearl Earring (film)
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber. The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy. The film is named after a painting of the same...
received three Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nominations in 2004. Burning Bright, published in March 2007, concerns two children who become neighbours of William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
in London in 1792. Her latest novel is Remarkable Creatures, based on the life of the English 19th-century fossil collector Mary Anning
Mary Anning
Mary Anning was a British fossil collector, dealer and palaeontologist who became known around the world for a number of important finds she made in the Jurassic age marine fossil beds at Lyme Regis where she lived...
.
Published works
- The Virgin Blue (London: Plume, 1997) ISBN 0-452-28444-9
- Girl with a Pearl EarringGirl with a Pearl Earring (novel)Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 1999 historical novel written by Tracy Chevalier. Set in 17th century Delft, Holland, the novel was inspired by Delft school painter Johannes Vermeer's painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. Chevalier presents a fictional account of Vermeer, the model, and the painting...
(New York: Dutton, 1999) ISBN 0-525-94527-X - Falling Angels (New York: Dutton, 2001) ISBN 0-525-94581-4
- The Lady and the Unicorn (New York: Dutton Adult, 2003) ISBN 0-525-94767-1
- Burning Bright (HarperCollins, March 2007) ISBN 0-00-717835-2
- Remarkable Creatures (HarperCollins, August 2009) ISBN 0-00-717837-9
External links
- Official Website
- Tracy Chevalier talks about The Lady and the Unicorn on MeetTheAuthor.co.uk
- British Library Podcast Tracy Chevalier reads from her novel Burning Bright and discusses William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's Notebook with Blake scholar Michael Phillips.