Charmaine Wilkerson
Born
New York
NationalityAmerican
Alma materBarnard College
Stanford University
OccupationAuthor
Notable workBlack Cake (2022)
Websitecharmspen.com

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)

References

  1. ↑ newsamericas (2022-07-27). "Caribbean American Author Makes Obama Reading List". Black Immigrant Daily News From News Americas. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  2. 1 2 3 "The many layers of Charmaine Wilkerson's 'Black Cake'". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  3. 1 2 3 Megan, O'Neill Melle (February 28, 2022). "On Her Shelf: Black Cake Author Charmaine Wilkerson Talks Nostalgia in the Kitchen and the Book She Recommends Most". Parade. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Nordstrom, Leigh (2022-02-02). "Meet the Debut Novelist Whose First Book Has Already Been Optioned by Oprah". WWD. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Makalintal, Bettina (2022-12-21). "Charmaine Wilkerson's 'Black Cake' Uses a Beloved Christmas Dessert to Reveal Untold Stories". Eater. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Joskow, Melissa (2022-02-03). "The PEN Ten: An Interview with Charmaine Wilkerson". PEN America. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  7. ↑ "'Read with Jenna' pick for February is 'Black Cake' by Charmaine Wilkerson". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  8. ↑ "Charmaine Wilkerson's 'Black Cake' Is Now a Hulu Series—Here's When to Tune In". ELLE. 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
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