Black Sci Fi Writer Leslie Banks Asks for Love and Prayers

The author, who's written dozens of books and mentored countless young writers, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

By Thoai Lu Jun 15, 2011

Today’s love goes to author Leslie Banks for her contribution to African-American literature and her willingness to help aspiring writers. You might know her by one of her other pseudonyms, like Leslie Esdaile Banks or LA Banks, but the writer most known for her vampire-huntress book series is in need of support from readers and friends.

Seven weeks ago, the 51-year-old author was diagnosed with late-stage adrenal cancer. Journalist Jenice Armstrong, who Banks helped tremendously during the beginning stages of her writing career, wrote that Banks is at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. She’s not asking for visitors, flowers or e-mails. All she wants are prayers.

Banks has written an astounding 42 books that range from crime to fantasy to non-fiction. In 2008, she was awarded Essence Literary Award’s storyteller of the year. Yet throughout her career, she still managed to coach many writers like Armstrong. "Leslie had time for anybody, from anywhere, from any walk of life," her childhood best friend Tina Ryan Wise told the Philadelphia Inquirer

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