Elizabeth Spencer (born July 19, 1921) is an
American writer. Spencer's first novel,
Fire in the Morning, was published in 1948. She has written a total of nine novels, seven collections of short stories, a memoir (
Landscapes of the Heart, 1998), and a play (
For Lease or Sale, 1989). Her novella
The Light in the Piazza (1960) was adapted for the
screen in 1962 and transformed into a
Broadway musical of the same name in 2005. She is a five-time recipient of the
O. Henry Award for short fiction. She currently lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.