Sue Monk Kidd

Sue Monk Kidd was raised in Sylvester, Georgia, and graduated from Texas Christian University in 1970 with a bachelor’s in nursing.

She took creative writing courses at Anderson College and Emory University.

Her first book, “When the Heart Waits,” was published in 1990 and became a touchstone on contemplative spirituality.

In 1996, “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” was published describing her journey into feminist theology.

In 2002, Kidd published her first novel, “The Secret Life of Bees.” The novel was named the Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year in 2004, long-listed for the 2002 Orange Prize in England, and won numerous awards.

Also, the novel spent more than two-and-a-half years on the New York Times bestseller list, was translated into 36 languages and was adapted into a movie.

Her second novel, “The Mermaid Chair,” won the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction, long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and adapted into a television movie.

Aside form being a novelist, Kidd serves on the board of advisors for Poets & Writers, Inc., and writes spiritual essays, meditation and inspirational stories.