Women Writing Mystery

The Women Writing Mystery lecture series, held each year at the Tucson Festival of Books, highlights the Women Mystery Writers Collection housed in Special Collections. The collection has a primary emphasis on Southwestern women mystery authors and includes mystery novels published from the 1950s to present written by female authors who primarily portray female protagonists. With more than 2,200 volumes, the collection serves an interdisciplinary audience conducting research in the areas of literature, creative writing, cultural studies, and women’s studies.

Also collected are papers and manuscripts of Southwestern women mystery authors, including the papers of bestselling author J.A. Jance. With more than 1,400 volumes, the collection serves an interdisciplinary audience conducting research in the areas of literature, creative writing, cultural studies, and women’s studies.