Donna Tartt was born on December 23rd 1963 in Greenwood, Mississippi. She was born into a family of book lovers and was surrounded by an appreciation of literature from a young age. By the time she was thirteen years old, Donna had her work published for the first time in the Mississippi Review and by the time she left school, a career as a writer seemed to be completely unavoidable. The well-known Mississippi writer and editor William Morris spotted Donna Tartt’s talent early on. He knew she would be a literary star. On his recommendation Donna completed the short story graduate course at the University of Mississippi, followed by a stint at the infamous Bennington College.
In 1992 Donna Tartt’s first novel was published to almost unprecedented acclaim. The Secret History is a psychological thriller that was presumed to be based on the three years that Tartt spent at Bennington College. The story explored the relationship between a group of friends and a murder that took place among their number. Tartt’s writing style has often been described as lush and immersive, with a keen focus on the psychological complexities of her characters. She has an extraordinary talent for crafting intricate plots that blend elements of mystery, character and suspense. The Secret History has been celebrated across the world for its exploration of intellectualism, morality and the blurred line between good and evil.
Tartt’s wide fan base eagerly await the release of her novels, which usually take many years to construct. Although Tartt is not a recluse, she values time away from wider world in order to
focus on her writing and characterisation. Her interviews are rare, and these irregular glimpses into her mind only add to the sense of mystique and intrigue which surround her work.
In 2002 The Little Friend was published, ten years after The Secret History, which delved into the lives of a family in the American South following the death of a child. Tartt has stated that she intentionally set out to create a novel as different from her first as possible. The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2003.
Another eleven years passed before The Goldfinch was published in 2013, winning the Pulitzer Prize and thrilling legions of adoring fans. This book focused on one boy, Theodore Decker, who survives a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that kills his mother and whose life takes a direction that he never could have imagined.
Although ten years have passed since the publication of The Goldfinch, as usual Tartt has kept tight lipped about her next book. Little is known about the subject matter or the release date, but Donna Tartt’s millions of fans will be there, waiting to pounce on the latest offering from one of the most talented and appreciated writers of our age.
