Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith, a mystery writer, was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She was originally named Mary Patricia Plangman. Her parents got separated before she was born, and she first met her father when she was twelve. She was primarily reared by her grandmother in New York. She was educated at Columbia after graduating from Julia Richmond High School. She worked briefly for a comic book publisher before devoting her time to her own writing. Highsmith's first book, "Strangers on a train", was published when she was 29. Many of her works have been made into films, including "The talented Mr. Ripley". She has been awarded the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere and the Silver Dagger by the British Crime Writers Association. Patricia Highsmith died in Switzerland in 1995.