Dianne L. Hagan

Award-winning author of social justice memoir and multicultural folklore noir mystery

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I’m an award-winning American author and a voice in contemporary social justice literature. Critics describe my storytelling as “prophetic and poetic” because of the way I blend multicultural mystery and world folklore with deeply personal explorations of race equality in America.

As the creator of A Cadence Mystery series, I’ve earned a reputation for crafting “atmospheric” folk noir that tackles systemic racism and historical trauma. The series has been the recipient of six Literary Titan Book Awards and a finalist six times in the American Fiction Awards. The books in A Cadence Mystery are celebrated for their rich character depth and fast-moving, multilayered suspense.

My storytelling is rooted in my own lived experience. My award-winning memoirs offer an “own voices” perspective on interracial love, family estrangement, and the enduring myth of a post-racial society. 

Whether writing spine-tingling noir thrillers or provocative sociocultural creative nonfiction, I remain committed to uncovering the ugly truths of the past and present and to celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. I live and write in the Piedmont-Triad area of North Carolina, but I remain sentimental about the natural beauty, rich history, and the unique intersection of cultural diversity in Central New York.

I’m a member of the Mystery Writers of America and earned my MFA at Queens University in Charlotte.