Vivian Vande Velde

Vivian Vande Velde (born 1951) is an American writer of fiction for children and young adults.

Biography Vivian Vande Velde was born in Rochester, New York, United States. She began writing at age 28, the year her daughter was born, and has been publishing relatively consistently since. She resides in Rochester. She is involved in multiple circles/groups of young writers in the Rochester area, along with authors such as Bruce Coville and Cynthia DeFelice.

Her novels and short story collections usually contain elements of horror, fantasy, and humor. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She has said that she enjoys writing for children and young adults, stating that childhood is the shortest and most influential time of a reader's life. She does school talks for children, attends book conventions, and also gives writing classes. Her work has appeared in a number of anthologies and magazines, including Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales, Cricket Magazine, Aboriginal Science Fiction, and Asimov's Science Fiction.