Lynette Norris Wilkinson

Award-winning writer, New Orleans native, and Dallas resident Lynette Norris Wilkinson was born to write. From the time she won her first writing contest at the age of 11, she has always sought self-expression through writing that inspires, influences, and informs. Job titles may have changed over the years, but she considers herself first and foremost a writer. Since graduating cum laude from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, with a major in journalism and a minor in marketing, she has held a number of positions, including a business reporter with Dun & Bradstreet; a technical writer, and most recently, a public relations coordinator with a major health system in Dallas. In August 2005, she found herself with 16 family members and friends on her doorstep in Dallas when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. Seeing images of the devastated Lower Ninth Ward, she had the God-inspired idea to tell the riveting untold stories of Katrina survivors from the community. "UNTOLD: The New Orleans 9th Ward You Never Knew" has since been named Book of the Year by the Sankofa Literary Society. "We all have a purpose in life," she says. "If God gives you a task and you don't do it, it doesn't mean it won't get done. He will just give it to someone else, but then you will miss the blessing of being obedient." She adds, "If this is the best and biggest thing I ever do in my life, I will be happy."