Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is a highly acclaimed American author, known for her novels, poems, and essays. She was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1955 and grew up in rural Kentucky. During her childhood, she spent a few years in the Congo, which would later influence her writing. Kingsolver pursued a degree in biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona, where she developed a strong appreciation for the natural world and social justice, themes that would become central to her work.

Before becoming a full-time novelist, Kingsolver worked as a freelance writer and also spent time in Europe, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South America. She lived in Tucson, Arizona, for two decades, during which she began her writing career in earnest. Her first novel, "The Bean Trees," was published in 1988, and she has since published numerous bestsellers, including "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," "The Poisonwood Bible," and "The Lacuna." Her work often focuses on social justice, biodiversity, and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments.

Kingsolver has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Orange Prize for Fiction, the National Humanities Medal, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for the body of her work. She has also been recognized as one of the most important writers of the 20th century by Writers Digest. In addition to her writing, Kingsolver has established the Bellwether Prize for fiction, which supports literature that promotes social change. She currently resides on a farm in southern Appalachia with her husband and two daughters, where they raise an extensive vegetable garden and Icelandic sheep.