Marita Golden
2008 Maryland Author Award Winner

Marita Golden has distinguished herself as a novelist, nonfiction writer, teacher of writing and literary institution builder. Her books, many of which have been used widely in African American, Women's Studies and Literature Courses include the memoirs Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons and Don't Play in the Sun: One Woman's Journey Through the Color Complex as well as the novels Long Distance Life, The Edge of Heaven and most recently After, which was honored by both the NAACP Image Award and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. As a literary institution builder she co-founded both the African American Writers Guild and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. As a teacher of writing she has held positions at George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University and currently serves as Writer in Residence at the University of the District of Columbia. Among the awards Marita Golden has received in recognition of her writing career and her work as a literary activist are the 2002 Distinguished Service Award from the Authors Guild and the 2001 Barnes and Noble Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes and Noble. She has spoken a colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad and has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as ABC's Primetime Live. Marita Golden lives with her husband in Mitchellville, Maryland.