Charmaine Wilkerson is a Caribbean-American writer who is originally from New York and has lived in Jamaica and Italy. Her writing frequently explores shifting ideas of home, family and self. She is the author of two novels, Black Cake and Good Dirt, and her award-winning short fiction can be found in various anthologies and magazines. Her debut novel, Black Cake, was adapted for the screen as a mini-series. A former news and communication professional, Charmaine is a graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University. She is grateful for the support she has received from residencies at Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences, Hedgebrook, and Vermont Studio Center. Author photo courtesy of Sian Trenberth.The 2025 Visiting Writers Program is generously supported by The Rona Jaffe Foundation.