Chester Himes Books in Order

Chester Himes is a renowned American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He began his writing career in the early 1930s while incarcerated, producing short stories for prominent publications such as Esquire and Abbott's Monthly. Upon his release, Himes focused on semi-autobiographical protest novels. In 1953, he emigrated to France, where he collaborated with Marcel Duhamel of Gallimard to create the Harlem Cycle, a detective series that would make him a celebrated figure. He became the first black author included in the prestigious Série Noire series, which had previously published works by notable authors like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Himes's works have been adapted into several films, including Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back, Charleston Blue, and A Rage in Harlem. He won France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for A Rage in Harlem in 1958.