Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is a renowned British author, best known for her crime fiction, mystery, and thriller novels. She was born in 1954 in England and spent her childhood in the English countryside, living in Herefordshire before moving to North Devon. Growing up in a working-class family, with her father serving as a local school teacher, Cleeves had a simple and happy childhood.

Cleeves' career as an author began after she met her husband, Tim, a visiting ornithologist, while cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle. With limited options for entertainment on the tiny tidal island nature reserve, she began writing as a pastime. Her first series featured the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones, and while some of these early books are deemed less successful, they marked the beginning of her writing journey. After moving to Northumberland in 1987, the north east region became a significant source of inspiration for many of her subsequent titles.

Before finding success as an author, Cleeves worked various jobs, including child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, and auxiliary coastguard. She eventually went back to college to become a probation officer. Cleeves' professional background and experiences have greatly influenced her writing, contributing to the depth and authenticity of her characters and storylines.

Ann Cleeves is the author of the books that inspired the popular television series ITV's VERA and the BBC's SHETLAND. Her work has been translated into sixteen languages and has garnered critical acclaim in the United States, Scandinavia, and Germany. In 2006, Cleeves won the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. This award, which replaced the CWA's Gold Dagger award, carries a £20,000 prize, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.