Rita Mae Brown

Rita Mae Brown is a New York Times-bestselling author, activist, and screenwriter. A writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, Brown is the author of over 50 books which have been translated into eight languages. With razor-sharp wit, Brown gives entertaining and enlightening talks about her writing and advocacy throughout the years.

In 1973, Brown published her debut novel Rubyfruit Jungle, a landmark coming-of-age story about a young woman forging her own path and refusing to apologize for her sexuality. The book has been heralded as a milestone, with The New York Times calling it “groundbreaking” and Gloria Steinem praising it as “the rare work of fiction that has changed real life.”

Since her debut, Brown has continued to write literary fiction while also venturing into other genres. She is the recipient of two Emmy nominations and the Writer’s Guild of America Award for best television variety show. Brown is also the author of numerous mystery novels, including the New York Times-bestselling Mrs. Murphy series, which she writes with her feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown, and the beloved Sister Jane fox-hunting novels, which most recently featured the new title Out of Hounds. She has also written poetry and nonfiction.

Rita Mae Brown has remained a prominent activist for human and animal rights for over forty years. In 2015, she received the Lambda Literary Pioneer Award for “individuals who have broken new ground in the field of LGBT literature and publishing.” Brown is also the recipient of the 2015 Lee Lynch Classic Book Award.

An animal-lover and humane hunter, Brown is a Master and Huntsmen of Oak Ridge Foxhunt Club (where she does not kill foxes), and has hunted with the Waldingfield Beagles, the oldest beagle pack in America. She lives in Afton, Virginia, on a farm with her cats, hounds, horses, and big red foxes.