Origins & Early Life

Catherynne Morgan Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Jr. Award, Andre Norton Award, and Mythopoeic Award. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, the anthologies Salon Fantastique and Paper Cities, and numerous "Year's Best" volumes.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Her critical work has appeared in the International Journal of the Humanities as well as other essay collections. Valente's 2009 book Palimpsest won the Lambda Award for LGBT Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror. Her two-volume series The Orphan's Tales won the 2008 Mythopoeic Award, and its first volume, The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, won the 2006 James Tiptree Jr. Award and was nominated for the 2007 World Fantasy Award. In 2012, Valente won three Locus Awards: Best Novelette (White Lines on a Green Field), Best Novella (Silently and Very Fast) and Best YA Novel (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 2009, she donated her archive to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Collection in the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaliyah — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Adam Brody — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): American actor known for roles in The O.C., Shazam!, and StartUp.
• Agostinho Neto — Contemporary (Died in 1979) (1979): Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
• Adele — Shared historical date (05-05 · Born) (1988): Iconic English singer-songwriter celebrated for powerful mezzo-soprano vocals.
• Bertha Benz — Shared historical date (05-05 · Died) (1944): Pioneering automotive figure who drove the first long-distance car journey.
• Andrew Scheer — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Canadian politician, former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
• Bilal (American singer) — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Acclaimed American singer known for wide vocal range and genre-blending soul music.
• Aage Bohr — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Al Martino — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Iconic Italian-American crooner, celebrated for standards and his role in The Godfather.
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Dissident author who exposed Soviet repression, notably the Gulag system.
• 1979 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1979
• May 5 (05-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 5