Donald Olson
Donald Olson is a travel writer, novelist, and playwright with a longtime interest in gardens and gardening. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and studied English and German Literature at the University of Minnesota. Olson began writing as a teenager and completed his first novel at age 18, though it wasn't published for another 20 years. His international career includes seven novels, plays produced in Europe and the U.S., dozens of travel guides, and two garden-tour books illustrated with his photographs. He splits his time between Manhattan and Portland, Oregon. His work has appeared in The New York Times and National Geographic. Olson's play "Oscar & Walt" won the "Best Full-length Play" award in 2019. He has also published short story collections and eBooks.
Awards
['Best Full-length Play award from the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights/City of West Hollywood Pride Reading Festival (for "Oscar & Walt")', 'Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award for best guidebook (for England For Dummies, 1st Edition)']
Notable Works
['The Secrets of Mabel Eastlake', 'Paradise Gardens', 'A Movie', 'Queer Corners', 'The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley', "The Gravedigger's Daughter - Ghost Stories & Other Otherworldly Tales", 'Oscar & Walt', 'The Pacific Northwest Garden Tour', 'The California Garden Tour', 'Europe For Dummies', 'London For Dummies', 'England For Dummies', "Frommer's Portland day by day", "Frommer's Seattle day by day", 'Celestial Sleuth']
