Candace Allen

A native of New England, Candace Allen became the first African-American female member of the Directors Guild of America after graduating from Harvard and attending the New York University School of Film and Television. Moving to Los Angeles, she worked as an Assistant Director on feature and television films and later as a screenwriter. 

During her time in Los Angeles, Candace was a founding member and leader of Reel Black Women, a professional organization for African-American women in film.  Abandoning the film world for other climes, Candace published her first novel, Valaida, based on the life of entertainer and jazz trumpeter Valaida Snow in 2004.  Consequent to her campaign-long commitment to the election of Barack Obama she became a newspaper and broadcast commentator on American politics, race and culture.  A second book, Soul Music:  Meditations on Music and Cultural Identity was published by Gibson Square Books in summer 2012.

Candace has resided in London since 1994.