Chester Himes | |
|---|---|
 Himes in 1946, photo by Carl Van Vechten | |
| Born | Chester Bomar Himes July 29, 1909 Jefferson City, Missouri, US |
| Died | November 12, 1984 (aged 75) Moraira, Spain |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Period | 1934–1980 |
| Genre | Hardboiled crime fiction, detective fiction |
| Notable works | Harlem Detective series of novels |
| Notable awards | Grand Prix de Littérature Policière |
| Spouse | Jean Lucinda Johnson (m. 1937–div. 1978) Lesley Packard (m. 1978) |
Chester Bomar Himes (July 29, 1909 – November 12, 1984) was an American writer. His works, some of which have been filmed, include If He Hollers Let Him Go, published in 1945, and the Harlem Detective series of novels for which he is best known, set in the 1950s and early 1960s and featuring two black policemen called Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson.[1] In 1958, Himes won France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière.