Elizabeth Ridley

Elizabeth Ridley’s fifth novel, "Searching for Celia," was published by Bold Strokes Books in New York in 2015. The GBLTQ mystery/thriller was chosen as one of “The 15 Best LGBT Summer Reads” by The Advocate, while Lambda Literary described it as “a riveting tale of identity and betrayal.” Her previous novels are "Throwing Roses" (The Permanent Press, 1993); "The Remarkable Journey of Miss Tranby Quirke" (Virago Press/Little, Brown & Co. UK 1996; Bold Strokes Books, NY, 2009), "Rainey’s Lament" (Virago Press/Little, Brown & Co. UK 1998; GENDAS, Turkey, 1999; The Overlook Press, NY, 1999) and "Dear Mr. Carson" (The Permanent Press, NY, 2006). Her books have appeared in hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions around the world. In addition to her novels, Elizabeth is an independent film writer and producer whose first short film, "Wingman Dad," is presently in pre-production. Her five-minute verbal pitch for "Wingman Dad" took first prize at the “Pitch Us Your Film!” contest at the Milwaukee Film Festival in 2015, while her full-length feature film, "Handle With Care," is in development with Oscar-nominated British actor Peter Firth attached to play the lead role. A native of Milwaukee, Elizabeth has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and a master’s degree in creative writing from The University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, where she studied under former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion. In 1994 she received a Hawthornden Fellowship to Hawthornden Castle in Lasswade, Scotland, and in 2011 she received a Literary Artist Fellowship from the Wisconsin Arts Board.