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Kate Wilhelm, née Meredith, was born June 8, 1928 in Toledo, Ohio. After graduating from high school, Wilhelm worked several jobs such as telephone operator, sales clerk, and model. In 1947, she married Joseph Wilhelm; in her first short story, The Pint-Size Genie, was published in the October 1956 issue of Fantastic, a fantasy and science fiction magazine.
In 1962, Wilhelm divorced her husband; she married science fiction author and editor Damon Knight in 1963. She published her first novel, More Bitter than Death, in that same year. Throughout her writing career, Wilhelm has written numerous short stories that have been published in magazines such as Orbit, Cosmopolitan, and Locus, as well as published more than 50 novels. Many of her published novels include the Barbara Holloway and Charlie and Constance mysteries, the former of which follows the cases of a fictional attorney based in Eugene, Oregon, where she and Damon now reside. In addition to her short stories and novels, Wilhelm has also written a screenplay and had her work adapted for television, theater, and film.
Wilhelm and her husband, Damon Knight, helped to establish two prominent science fiction writer's workshops: The Clarion Writer's Workshop, and the Milford Writer's Workshop. Wilhelm continues to host monthly writing workshops. She has also lectured at many universities and events around the globe and has won several awards for her work, including three Nebula Awards, two Hugo Awards, and two Locus Awards. She was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2003.
Some of Wilhelm's most recent work includes By Stone, By Blade, By Fire; Whisper Her Name; and Death of an Artist. Her work can be found online at InfinityBox Press, a digital publishing platform for all of Wilhelm's new and existing work.
[Sources: http://www.infinityboxpress.com/about.php; http://katewilhelm.com/sample-page/]
The collection is comprised of the literary manuscripts of science fiction and mystery novelist Kate Wilhelm; correspondence from publishers and Wilhelm's literary agent, George Schlessiger; and personal items such as financial documents, contracts, and book reviews. Literary manuscripts include early and final drafts of short stories and novels, some of which have editing marks. Much of the correspondence is between George Schlessiger and editors, often with editing notes attached.