Valerie Stetson was born in Alberta and grew up in British Columbia. She studied English at the University of Victoria. Stetson's first book, a collection of short stories called The Year I Got Impatient, was a runner-up for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. The title story also received The Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award. Her second book, a collection of poems called Living in Gravity, was nominated for a ReLit Award. Her articles have also appeared in The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star. She lives in Kelowna.