Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction novels including Wench (2010), Balm (2015), Take My Hand (2022), and Happy Land (2025). Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she holds a BA from Harvard College in African-American Studies and East Asian Studies and a PhD in English from George Washington University. She is an Associate Professor of Literature at American University, Chair of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation Board, and lives in Washington, DC with her family.