American writer Elizabeth Gilbert was BOTD in 1969. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, she and her sister were raised on a remote farm in Litchfield without a radio or television, entertaining themselves by writing and performing plays. She studied at New York University, moving to Philadelphia where she worked as a bartender and waitress. She published her first short story in 1993 in Esquire magazine, leading to a career as a freelance journalist. She turned heads with a 1997 article in GQ magazine, recounting her experiences as a table dancer at the Coyote Ugly bar in New York, which inspired the 2000 film Coyote Ugly. Her debut short story collection Pilgrims won the Pushcart Prize and was shortlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award, followed by a novel Stern Men. Her 2002 book The Last American Man, a biography of naturalist Eustace Conway, was shortlisted for the National Book Award. She became internationally famous with her 2006 memoir Eat Pray Love, recounting her year of travel and self-discovery in Italy, India and Indonesia. Though criticised for her tone-deafness about her Rich White Lady privilege, the book sold over 30 million copies, was translated into 30 languages was successfully filmed in 2010 starring Julia Roberts as Gilbert. The book was credited with reinvigorating the travel writing genre and spawning a new sub-genre of female-centred “personal growth” narratives. Her 2010 follow-up book Committed described her decision to marry Portuguese violinist José Nunes, the Prince Charming who appears at the end of Eat Pray Love. They remained together until 2016, Gilbert’s next book Committed, published in 2010, They separated in 2016 after Gilbert formed a relationship with her best friend Rayya Elias, who was dying of cancer. Gilbert and Elias had a civil partnership ceremony in 2017, remaining together until Elias’ death in 2018. Her other publications include the self-help book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, and the 2019 novel City of Girls. Gilbert lives in a converted church in New Jersey. Her current relationship status is unknown.