Barbara Neely is a highly acclaimed African-American author, best known for her mystery and thriller novels. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Anthony Award in 1993, the Agatha Award in 1992, and the Macavity Award in 1993. Neely's debut novel, "Blanche on the Lam," which introduced the world to her heroine Blanche White, won three of the four major mystery awards for best first novel, as well as the Go On Girl! Book Club award for a debut novel.
Blanche White is a middle-aged mother who works as a domestic worker and amateur sleuth. The series has been well-received by both fans and literary critics, and has been taught in courses at various institutions, including Boston College, Howard University, Guttenberg University, and Washington State University. The books in the series have been translated into French, German, and Japanese, and have received critical acclaim from both fans and literary critics.
In addition to her successful writing career, Neely has also had an extensive public sector career. She has designed and directed the first community-based corrections facility for women in Pennsylvania, directed a branch of the YWCA, and headed a consultant firm for non-profits. She has also been part of an evaluative research team at the Institute for Social Research, the Executive Director of Women for Economic Justice, and a radio producer for Africa News Service. For her activism, Neely has received the Community Works Social Action Award for Leadership and Activism for Women's Rights and Economic Justice, and the Fighting for Women's Voices Award from the Coalition for Basic Human Needs.
Neely's short stories have also been published in various anthologies, magazines, university texts, and journals, including Things that divide us, Speaking for Ourselves, Constellations, Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience, Breaking Ice, Essence, and Obsidian II. Her work has been widely recognized for its contribution to the literary world and her activism for women's rights and economic justice.