Valerie Audrey Martin's Biography

I am a bilingual Argentine-American writer. Having been raised in several places, I count myself among the ranks of people who take their homes (and feel like expats) wherever they go. Buenos Aires, Argentina, is my birthplace, my current residence and a city I am entranced with. I have also lived in Brazil and the U.S.

As a child and young adult, I took to writing poems. Poetry is a lifeline I return to when fiction and non-fiction (two intricate passions) suck the matter from my brain. The first two major projects I am proud to have completed are The Violet Hour, a novella written as an Honors Thesis, and The Wind and the Silence, a non-fiction narrative about the oft-forgotten Martin Garcia Island, off the shores of Buenos Aires. I write in both Spanish and English (sometimes simultaneously).

Since becoming a freelance journalist, I have published articles in various local newspapers and magazines, as well as online sites. I am currently working on a novel: a biography/historical account of my grandmother's life in Argentina.

Travel is a major part of my life. Thanks to a travel-crazy mother, my sister and I had the opportunity of visiting almost every continent before turning 20. That traveling education has propelled me in directions I never thought I would take. Since working as a freelance tour leader, travel has also made its way into my writing and provides worthy fodder for future projects.

In terms of my formal training, I received my Bachelor of Arts in English at Wellesley College, in Massachussetts and later, my Masters in Journalism from the Di Tella University's joint Journalism program with La Nacion national newspaper, in Buenos Aires.