Frank Yerby became one of the leading novelists of the 20th Century after releasing a series of novels between the 1940’s and early 1970’s.
Frank Garvin Yerby was born in 1916 in Augusta, Ga. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Paine College and a master’s degree from Fisk University. While at the University of Chicago studying for a doctorate in education, Yerby dropped out to teach and then pursued a career in writing.
Eventually settling in Jamaica, New York, in 1944, Yerby’s writing was recognized with the O. Henry Memorial Award for his short story, Health Card, which focused on a Black soldier and his wife and the racial inequalities they faced. Two years later, Yerby released his first novel, The Foxes of Harrow, which became the first book by a Black author to sell over one million copies. That same year, Yerby was the first author to have his work purchased by a Hollywood studio. (READ MORE)
