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Ellen Hart

エレン・ハート

Ellen Hāto

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1949-08-10 （Maine, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Maine (birthplace) → Minneapolis, Minnesota (long-time residence) → Eden Prairie, Minnesota (since 2012)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Former chef
Active Years
1989-
Affiliations
The Minnesota Crime Wave (founding member), The Loft Literary Center (instructor)
Memberships
The Minnesota Crime Wave (founding member), Mystery Writers of America, Golden Crown Literary Society
Influenced By
Agatha Christie, Diane Mott Davidson
Influenced
Contemporary lesbian mystery writers (collective influence)

Awards

Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
1995
Work: A Small Sacrifice
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
1997
Work: Robber's Wine
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
2000
Work: Hunting the Witch
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
2002
Work: The Merchant of Venus
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
2003
Work: Immaculate Midnight
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery)
2015
Work: The Old Deep and Dark
Category: Lesbian Mystery
Organization: Lambda Literary Foundation
Result: Winner
Golden Crown Literary Society Trailblazer Award
2010
Organization: Golden Crown Literary Society
Result: Winner
Mystery Writers of America Grand Master
2017
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Honoree
Saints and Sinners Hall of Fame
2005
Organization: Saints and Sinners
Result: Inducted
Minnesota Book Awards
2016
Work: The Grave Soul
Category: Genre Fiction
Organization: The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
Result: Winner
Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Mystery
2005
Work: An Intimate Ghost
Organization: Golden Crown Literary Society
Result: Winner
Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Mystery
2006
Work: The Iron Girl
Organization: Golden Crown Literary Society
Result: Winner
Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Dramatic General Fiction
2008
Work: The Mortal Groove
Organization: Golden Crown Literary Society
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hallowed Murder

1989 Mystery

The first Jane Lawless novel. Features a restaurateur protagonist and blends small-town mystery with LGBT themes in a classic closed-circle mystery format.

LGBTsmall-town secretsfriendship

An Intimate Ghost

2004 Mystery

A mid-series entry that weaves ghost elements and past crimes into a mystery exploring relationships and community darkness.

ghostspast crimescommunity

The Iron Girl

2005 Mystery

A mystery combining culinary elements and social issues; recipient of Golden Crown Literary Society recognition.

culinaryfemale resiliencecrime investigation

Bibliography

  • Jane Lawless series (27 books, 1989–2020)
  • Sophie Greenway series (1994–2005)
  • Anthology contributions and edited collections

Adaptations

  • Appearances on the Minnesota Crime Wave TV program (as guest/participant)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
High-tension plotting with restrained gore ("maximal suspense, minimal gore")Dialogue-driven, brisk mystery pacingSkillful incorporation of culinary and food-culture elements
Recurring Motifs
food and cookingfriendship and partnershipsmall-town secrets and historyissues affecting the LGBT community

Legacy

Ellen Hart is regarded as a significant figure in lesbian literature and mystery fiction, known for series that incorporate culinary elements. A multiple Lambda Award winner, she was named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master in 2017 and has contributed to raising the profile of LGBT writers.

Academic Societies

  • Golden Crown Literary Society

In Popular Culture

  • Work and appearances on the Minnesota Crime Wave TV program

Quotes

  • I describe my style as "maximal suspense and minimal gore." I don't do lots of blood and gore and I don't do sex scenes in any great detail.
    Source: Interview / official website

Trivia

  • Worked as a professional chef for 14 years, which informs the culinary elements in her fiction.
  • Has been nominated many times for the Lambda Literary Awards and has won multiple times (counts vary by source).
  • Named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master in 2017, the first openly LGBT writer to receive the honor.
  • Inducted into the Saints and Sinners Hall of Fame in 2005.
  • Lived in Minneapolis for many years and moved to Eden Prairie in 2012.