Gerda Charles (1914–1996)

Gerda Charles was the pen name of Edna Lipson, born in Liverpool to an Anglo-Jewish family. Her father died when she was a year old, leaving the family impoverished. As a teenager, she and her mother moved to London, where they ran a boarding house while she took evening classes. She published her debut novel, The True Voice, in 1959. Her third novel, A Slanting Light, won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1963. The Destiny Waltz won the inaugural Whitbread Novel of the Year award in 1971. She also worked as a journalist and reviewer for various newspapers, including The New Statesman, Daily Telegraph, The New York Times, and the Jewish Chronicle. She also edited an anthology, Modern Jewish Short Stories (1966). Tel Aviv University created a writing award called the Gerda Charles Award in her honor.