Jacqueline Winspear U.S.-based British writer

Jacqueline Winspear

Biography Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in both general and academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the United Kingdom.

She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal and professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.

A regular contributor to journals covering international education, Jacqueline has published articles in women’s magazines and has also recorded her essays for KQED radio in San Francisco. She currently divides her time between Ojai and the San Francisco Bay Area. Jacqueline is also a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.

Jacqueline’s novels—Maisie Dobbs, Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, and Messenger of Truth—are set in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, with the roots of the story set in the Great War, 1914-1918.

Jacqueline’s grandfather was severely wounded and shell-shocked at The Battle of the Somme in 1916, and it was as she understood the extent of his suffering that, even in childhood, Jacqueline became deeply interested in the “war to end all wars” and its after effects. As an adult her interest deepened to the extent that, though she did not set out to write a “war” novel, it came as no surprise that this part of history formed the backdrop of Maisie Dobbs and other books in the series. The unique and engaging character of Maisie Dobbs is very much a woman of her generation. She has come of age at a time when women took on the toil of men and claimed independence that was difficult to relinquish. It was a time when many women remained unmarried, simply because a generation of men had gone to war and not come home.

“The war and its aftermath provide fertile ground for a mystery. Such great social upheaval allows for the strange and unusual to emerge and a time of intense emotions can, to the writer of fiction, provide ample fodder for a compelling story, especially one concerning criminal acts and issues of guilt and innocence. After all, a generation is said to have lost its innocence in The Great War. The mystery genre provides a wonderful vehicle for exploring such a time,” explains Ms. Winspear.

Maisie Dobbs, a National Bestseller, has received an array of accolades, including New York Times Notable Book 2003, a Publishers Weekly Top Ten Mystery 2003, and a BookSense Top Ten selection. In addition, the novel has been nominated for seven awards, including the Edgar for Best Novel -– it was only the second time a first novel has been nominated in this category. She has won the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First novel, the Macavity Award for Best First Novel; and the Alex Award, which is presented annually by the American Library Association in conjunction with the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. Maisie Dobbs. is published by Soho Press in hardcover and by Penguin Group USA in paperback, an edition that spent almost four months on the Independent Mystery Booksellers Bestseller list in 2004.

The sequel, Birds of a Feather, published in June 2004 by Soho Press, was also a BookSense Top Ten pick in 2004 and has been highly acclaimed by reviewers, garnering nominations for the Southern California Booksellers Association Best Mystery 2004, and the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association’s Dilys Winn Award 2004. John Murray published Birds of a Feather in the United Kingdom in February 2005 and in the USA, Penguin launched the paperback in August 2005.

Jacqueline’s third novel, Pardonable Lies, was published by Henry Holt in September 2005 as their lead fiction title, and by John Murray in the United Kingdom in February 2006.

Upcoming Works

Nickname

  • Jacqui

Agents

  • Amy Rennert

Contact Agents

  • c/o The Amy Rennert Agency
    98 Main Street #302
    Tiburon, CA 94920

Publishers

  • Penguin Group USA
    Picador
    Henry Holt
    John Murray
    Soho Press

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