View source for Val Wood

{{short description|British author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name            = Val Wood
| image           = File:Author Val Wood with a selection of her best-selling novels (2013).JPG
| image_caption   = Val Wood with a selection of her best-selling novels
| birth_name       = Valerie Wood
| birth_place      = [[Castleford]], West Yorkshire, England
| occupation      = Author
| yearsactive     = 1993–present
| website         = {{url|www.valeriewood.co.uk/}}
}}
'''Val Wood''', also known as '''Valerie Wood''', is a British author of historical romance novels. She has written over 25 novels, all set in and around the city of [[Kingston upon Hull]] published by [[Transworld Publishers|Transworld]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/authors/val-wood|title=Author: Val Wood|accessdate=4 July 2013|website =[[Random House]]}}</ref> She was born in [[Castleford]] and lives in [[Beverley]], East Riding of Yorkshire
==Literary career==
Wood's first novel, ''The Hungry Tide'', was published in 1993 after winning the [[Catherine Cookson]] Prize for Romantic Fiction. Wood has released many novels including ''The Innkeeper's Daughter'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Author-Val-Wood-releases-18th-novel-Innkeeper-s/story-17710282-detail/story.html#axzz2XPGDEQu9 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130706072103/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Author-Val-Wood-releases-18th-novel-Innkeeper-s/story-17710282-detail/story.html%23axzz2XPGDEQu9 |url-status=dead|title=Author Val Wood releases her 18th novel The Innkeeper's Daughter |publisher=This is Hull and East Riding |date=29 December 2012 |accessdate=4 July 2013 |archive-date=6 July 2013 }}</ref> and ''The Doorstep Girls'' which were named in ''[[The Times]]'' best-seller list in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Her 19th novel, ''His Brother's Wife'', was released in September 2013 and reached number 11 in the Bookseller charts. ''The Hungry Tide'' was also re-released to celebrate the novel's 20th anniversary along with the rest of the author's back catalogue, many titles of which have made the Times best-seller list.
===Support for tourism and libraries===
Val Wood takes inspiration from the heritage of her surroundings, and in 2012 she launched a website and trail<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Val-Wood-trail-Beverley-traces-footsteps-author-s/story-16321792-detail/story.html#axzz2XPGDEQu9 |title=Val Wood trail through Beverley traces footsteps of author's best-known characters |publisher=This is Hull and East Riding |date=9 June 2012 |accessdate=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615194717/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Val-Wood-trail-Beverley-traces-footsteps-author-s/story-16321792-detail/story.html#axzz2XPGDEQu9 |archive-date=15 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to coincide with the release of her novel ''The Harbour Girl''<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.beverleyguardian.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/local-author-attracts-crowds-1-4355993 |title=Local author attracts crowds – Entertainment |publisher=Beverley Guardian |date=16 March 2012 |accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> and to promote tourism in both [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] where the novel is set. The trail was promoted via a free library tour in summer 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Celebrating-trail-launch-library/story-16511162-detail/story.html#axzz2XPGDEQu9 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130706072050/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Celebrating-trail-launch-library/story-16511162-detail/story.html%23axzz2XPGDEQu9 |url-status=dead|title=Celebrating trail launch at library |publisher=This is Hull and East Riding |date=10 July 2012 |accessdate=4 July 2013 |archive-date=6 July 2013 }}</ref> A further trail was created to promote tourism in [[Beverley]] and coincided with the reissue of her novel ''The Kitchen Maid''.
Wood is a proponent of the benefits of library services. In November 2012 her catalogue of books were named amongst the top loaned titles in UK libraries on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Open Book (radio)|Open Book]]'' show presented by [[Mariella Frostrup]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp6p|title=BBC Radio 4 – Open Book|website=[[BBC]]|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> and in 2016 Val was featured in the BBC Television documentary series The Books That Made Britain.
==Background and personal life==
When she is not writing, Wood volunteers for a number of charities including Hull and District Talking Magazine where she has been a reader and editor for 28 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/eastyorkshire/10522458.Author_quits_Talking_Magazine_for_the_Blind_service/|title=Author quits Talking Magazine For the Blind|publisher=The Press |date=7 March 2013}}</ref> Wood is also patron of Home Start and Friends of Hull Memory Clinic and has spoken at a number of events to raise awareness of dementia issues. Dementia is an issue close to Wood's heart after losing her husband Peter to dementia in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/author-tells-how-dementia-caused-theft-of-her-husband-1-3019055 |title=Author tells how dementia caused 'theft of her husband' – Local stories |work=Yorkshire Post |date=27 September 2010 |accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref>
In 2016 Val was announced as the Vice President of HERIB and in 2017 Val was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from [[The University of Hull]].
==Books==
* ''The Hungry Tide'' (1993)
* ''Annie'' (1994)
* ''Children of the Tide'' (1996)
* ''The Romany Girl'' (1998) – also published as ''The Gypsy Girl''
* ''Emily'' (1999)
* ''Going Home'' (2000)
* ''Rosa's Island'' (2001)
* ''The Doorstep Girls'' (2002)
* ''Far from Home'' (2003)
* ''The Kitchen Maid'' (2004)
* ''The Songbird'' (2005)
* ''Nobody's Child'' (2006)
* ''Fallen Angels'' (2007)
* ''The Long Walk Home'' (2008)
* ''Rich Girl, Poor Girl'' (2009)
* ''Homecoming Girls'' (2010)
* ''The Harbour Girl'' (2011)
* ''The Innkeeper's Daughter'' (2012)
* ''His Brother's Wife'' (2013)
* ''Every Mother's Son'' (2014)
* ''Little Girl Lost'' (2015)
* ''Steven's War'' (2016)
* ''No Place For a Woman'' (2016)
* ''A Mother's Choice'' (2017)
* ''A Place to Call Home'' (2018)
* ''Four Sisters'' (2019)
* ''The Lonely Wife'' (2020)
* ''Children of Fortune'' (2021)
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.valeriewood.co.uk Val Wood's Official Website]
*[http://www.valwoodtrails.co.uk Val Wood's Kitchen Maid Trail]
*[http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/authors/val-wood Val Wood] – Profile at Random House Publishers
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Val}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Castleford]]
[[Category:English women novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century English novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]
[[Category:English historical novelists]]
[[Category:English romantic fiction writers]]
[[Category:Writers of historical romances]]
[[Category:British Book Award winners]]
[[Category:21st-century English women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English women writers]]
[[Category:British women historical novelists]]
[[Category:British women romantic fiction writers]]