Barbara Kingsolver Biography- Barbara Ellen Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is an American author, essayist, and poet who has won the Pulitzer Prize. Her well-known works include The Poisonwood Bible, a story about a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a nonfiction account of her family’s attempts to eat locally. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2023 for her novel Demon Copperhead. Her work frequently addresses issues of social justice, biodiversity, and the interactions of humans with their communities and environs. Kingsolver has won multiple accolades, including the 2011 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award and the National Humanities Medal. After winning for Demon Copperhead in 2023 and The Lacuna in 2010, Kingsolver became the first author to win.
Barbara Kingsolver Biography 2024
In the early 1970s, Kingsolver left Kentucky to study at DePauw University in Indiana. There, she nominally studied biology but acquired a far broader education. Joining anti-Vietnam rallies and studying Karl Marx and Simone de Beauvoir gave her a thirst for social activism that she has never lost. She also came across writers that combine literary with social and political activism. Doris Lessing’s Children of Violence novels, in particular, inspired her to pursue her actual calling: trying to transform the world through writing. Still, after graduating in 1977, Kingsolver did not pursue a writing profession. Instead, she sought a doctorate degree in biology and ecology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, as well as spending two years living in Greece.
Barbara Kingsolver Biography 2024 Details
| Born | Barbara Ellen Kingsolver
April 8, 1955 (age 69)
Annapolis, Maryland,
U.S. |
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| Occupation | |
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| Education | - DePauw University (BA)
- University of Arizona (MA)
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| Period | 1988–present |
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| Genre | Historical fiction |
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| Subject | Social justice, feminism, environmentalism |
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| Notable works | - The Poisonwood Bible
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
- Flight Behavior
- Demon Copperhead
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| Spouse | - Joseph Hoffmann (1985–1992)
- Steven Lee Hopp (1994–present)
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| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives | Wendell Roy Kingsolver (father), Virginia Lee (neé Henry) Kingsolver (mother) |
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| Category | Singers Bio |
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Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Ellen Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a nonfiction account of her family’s attempts to eat locally.
Born: 8 April 1955 (age 69 years), Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Spouse: Steven Hopp (m. 1994), Joseph Hoffmann (m. 1985–1992)
Movies: Yarn
Awards: Women’s Prize for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, MORE
Children: Camille Hoffmann, Lily Hopp
Parents: Virginia Henry, Wendell R. Kingsolver
Early Life
Kingsolver was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1955, to Wendell Roy Kingsolver and Virginia Lee (née Henry) Kingsolver, but she grew up in Carlisle, Kentucky. When Kingsolver was seven years old, her physician father moved the family to Léopoldville, Congo (now Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo). After graduating from high school, Kingsolver entered DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, on a music scholarship to study classical piano. She switched her focus to biology after finding that “classical pianists compete for six job openings a year, while the rest get to play ‘Blue Moon’ in a hotel lobby.”
In 1977, Kingsolver graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Science and spent a year in France before enrolling in graduate school at the University of Arizona, where she earned a master’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. She was also involved in campus activism and participated in anti-Vietnam War protests.
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Age, Height & Body Measurements
Barbara Kingsolver current age 69 years old. Barbara Kingsolver’s height Unknown & weight Not Available right. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon.
Who is Barbara Kingsolver Dating
Barbara Kingsolver’s personal and romantic life remain private. Please return frequently as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. Let us take a look at Barbara Kingsolver’s previous relationships, ex-girlfriends, and hookups. Barbara Kingsolver prefers to keep her marital status and divorce private. Dating refers to a period in a person’s life when he or she is actively seeking romantic relationships with various people. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are frequently described as “dating,” which means they were seen together and it is unclear whether they are simply friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or romantically involved.
Barbara Kingsolver Net Worth
According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb, and other online sources, famed novelist Barbara Kingsolver has a net worth of $20 million at the age of 69. She earned the money as a professional novelist. She’s from Maryland.
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Writing career
Barbara Kingsolver’s writing career | Details |
Early Career | Began as a science writer for the University of Arizona, then moved to freelance writing for Tucson Weekly |
Fiction Writing Start | Won a short-story contest in a local Phoenix newspaper |
First Novel | The Bean Trees (1988) – Story of a young woman who moves from Kentucky to Arizona and adopts an abandoned child |
Next Work (1990) | Homeland and Other Stories – Collection of short stories exploring themes of cultural evolution and marriage |
Other Works (1990) | Animal Dreams – Published in the same year as Homeland and Other Stories |
Sequel to First Novel | Pigs in Heaven (1993) – Sequel to The Bean Trees |
Subsequent Success | Every book since Pigs in Heaven has appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list |
Notable Work | The Poisonwood Bible (1998) – Chronicles the lives of a Baptist missionary’s family in Africa |
Personal Connection | The novel is set in Africa , similar to Kingsolver’s childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but is not autobiographical |
Awards and Recognition | Chosen for Oprah’s Book Club, won the National Book Prize of South Africa, shortlisted for Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award |
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Bellwether Prize
Barbara Kingsolver | Details |
Established | 2000 |
Founder | Barbara Kingsolver |
Name Origin | Named after the bellwether, symbolizing a leader or predictor of future trends |
Purpose | Supports writers whose works contribute to positive social change |
Eligibility | U.S. citizens with a previously unpublished work of fiction addressing social justice issues |
Award Frequency | Every even-numbered year |
Prize Includes | Major publication guarantee and a cash prize of US$25,000 |
Funding | Fully funded by Barbara Kingsolver |
Objective | To encourage engagement with social change and human justice through fiction |
Administration Change | In May 2011, the PEN American Center took over administration ; renamed to PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction |
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Literary style and themes
Barbara Kingsolver’s literary style and themes | Details |
Narrative Styles | Both first-person and third-person; frequently employs overlapping narratives |
Familiar Settings | Often writes about places she is familiar with, including Central Africa, Arizona, and Appalachia |
Autobiographical Elements | Novels are not autobiographical, though there are commonalities between her life and her work |
Literary Approach | Idealistic, often described as a form of activism |
Common Themes | – Struggles for social equality (e.g ., undocumented immigrants, working poor, single mothers) |
| – Balancing individuality with community life |
| – Interaction and conflict between humans and ecosystems |
Historical Engagement | Uses engaging prose to make historical events (e.g., Congo’s struggle for independence) more accessible to readers |
