Caribbean-American journalist, writer, and author
Charmaine Wilkerson is a Caribbean-American journalist, writer, and author.[1] She is known for her debut novel, Black Cake, which was a New York Times Bestseller.
Personal life
Wilkerson is originally from New York.[2] She has moved around a lot in her own life.[3] She spent much of her childhood living in Jamaica and some time as an adult living in Los Angeles.[3][4] She currently lives in Rome, where she has been living for over two decades.[5][4]
Both of Wilkerson's parents are Caribbean-American.[3] Her mother was born and raised in Jamaica.[5] Her father was a textile artist.[6]
Wilkerson is a graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University.[6]
Career
Wilkerson spent much of her career as a journalist.[5] She began her reporting in California in a major agricultural area.[5] For a period, she also worked for a United Nations agency with a focus on agriculture, poverty reduction, and hunger reduction.[5]
As a writer, Wilkerson has published a number of short stories.[6] Her debut novel, Black Cake, was released in 2022.[6]
Black Cake
Her first novel was published in 2022. Black Cake was a New York Times bestseller, a Read With Jenna book club pick, and a Book of the Month club pick.[2][7][4]
Before the novel was even published, the TV rights were purchased by Oprah Winfrey's production company, Harpo Films, as the result of a bidding war.[4] The on-screen adaptation was developed as a Hulu series, released in 2023.[2][6][8]
With her debut novel, Wilkerson wanted to relay the importance and ability of transferring culture and stories through food.[5] Black cake is a Caribbean food that Wilkerson's own mother made, though they called it rum pudding.[5] Wilkerson herself bakes the dessert once a year.[5]
Published works
- Black Cake (2022)
- Deluge (2023)
- Good Dirt (forthcoming 2025)[9]
References
External links
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