Shelf Full of Books: Author Spotlight: Elizabeth George, Author of Just One Evil Act

Elizabeth George is in the Author Spotlight today. She is the prolific author of the Detective Lynley series.

Meet Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George was born in Ohio but raised in California. She now resides in Washington State. She received a teaching degree from the University of California Riverside. She also attended the California State University at Fullerton and earned her master’s degree in Counseling/Psychology. In 2004 she was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Then in 2010 she received an honorary Masters in Fine Arts from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts.

Ms. George began her career not as a writer, but as a teacher. She taught high school English at El Toro High School in El Toro, California (now known as Lake Forest, California), until she retired. She was named Orange County Teacher of the Year for nearly a decade’s work with remedial students.

In 1997 Ms. George founded the Elizabeth George Foundation.

THE ELIZABETH GEORGE FOUNDATION

The Elizabeth George Foundation is committed to providing emerging playwrights, short story writers, poets, and unpublished novelists with one-time funding that will enable

them to live and work for a period of time as a writer. Grant funds may be used for living expenses not to exceed a year, for tuition in accredited MFA programs in the United States, for travel, for research, for artistic residencies, for writers' conferences, or for other efforts designed to promote the goal of giving writers an opportunity to improve, finish, or refine their work. In addition, organizations that provide residencies or learning opportunities for fiction writers, poets, or playwrights are eligible. Non-profit organizations that provide services to increase the education, artistic expression, and literacy of at-risk youth and of youth transitioning out of foster care may also be considered for funding.

For more information concerning the grants process and deadlines, write to: The Elizabeth George Foundation,PO Box 1429, Langley, WA, USA, 98260-1429.

Elizabeth George has written 18 novels featuring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. Many of these novels have been adapted for television and are broadcast on BBC in the United Kingdom and PBS in the US. The TV adaptations are called The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

Ms George has won the following awards and nominations:

For: A Great Deliverance

Anthony Award (1989 Best First Novel)

Agatha Award (1988 Best First Novel)

Le Grand Prix de Literature Policiere (France)

Nominated for the Edgar (1988) and Macavity Awards

For Well-Schooled in Murder

MIMI (Germany)