Tracy Rose Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962. She is an American and British author. She is most famous for her second book, Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was made into a movie in 2003. The film features actors Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.
Personal background
Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962, in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Douglas and Helen Chevalier, who was born as Werner. Her father worked as a photographer for The Washington Post for more than 30 years. Chevalier has one sister and one brother. In 2022, she lives in London with her husband, Jonathan Drori.
She graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1980. After earning a bachelor's degree in English from Oberlin College in 1984, she moved to England and began working in publishing. In 1993, she started studying Creative Writing and received a master's degree from the University of East Anglia. Her teachers included novelists Malcolm Bradbury and Rose Tremain.
Professional background
After graduating from Oberlin College, Chevalier moved to England. She began working as an assistant editor for Macmillan's Dictionary of Art and later became an editor for reference books at St. James Press.
Her first novel, The Virgin Blue, was published in the UK in 1997. It was selected by WH Smith for their new authors' showcase. Her second novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, was published in 1999. This book is based on a famous painting by Vermeer. It has been translated into 38 languages and sold over five million copies worldwide by 2014. It won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award in 2000. A film version of the novel was released in 2003. It was nominated for three Academy Awards in 2004 and received ten BAFTAs and two Golden Globes. Her 2013 novel, The Last Runaway, won the Ohioana Book Award and was chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club in autumn 2013.
In 2011, Chevalier edited and wrote stories for Why Willows Weep, a collection by 19 authors. Sales of the book helped raise money for the Woodland Trust, an organization for which her husband was a trustee.
In December 2025, Chevalier was a guest at the unveiling of a statue of Sylvia Townsend Warner in Dorchester.
Other books by Chevalier include At the Edge of the Orchard, which features William Lobb and Johnny Appleseed; Burning Bright, which includes William Blake; and A Single Thread, which features Louisa Pesel.
Memberships
Chevalier has helped authors by being part of different groups. In 2004, she became the chair of the Management Committee for the UK's Society of Authors and held this role for four years. The book Girl with a Pearl Earring was selected as one of the books shared in the US and UK during World Book Night 2013. In 2015, she became a Trustee on the British Library board. She also works as an ambassador for the Woodland Trust, where her husband is a member of the board of directors.