Richard Wright Biography

(Novelist)

Birthday: September 4, 1908 (Virgo)

Born In: Roxie, Mississippi, United States

A disturbed childhood, scarred with bitter experiences of racial discrimination, left a permanent mark on young Richard Wright, who later went on to become an internationally recognised writer. His writings laid an enormous impact on the social and intellectual history of the United States of America, in the second half of the 20th century. Sometimes regarded as a controversial writer, Richard’s writings were centred on racial themes and the suffering of the African-American people. In an era, where racism was one of the most distressing issues in the American society, his writings invoked a sense of togetherness among the African-American community and inspired many people to raise their voices and live with dignity. His best known works include ‘Native Son’, ‘Black Boy’, ‘Uncle Tom's Children’, ‘The God that Failed’ and The Outsider’. He also wrote many short stories, essays and other non-fictional books and the themes of all these works, were yet again racial discrimination and challenges faced by the average African-American. He has influenced many young writers and many of his works are part of the academic syllabuses across schools, colleges and universities in many parts of the world. To learn more interesting facts about his personal life and professional achievements, scroll down and continue to read this biography.

8
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Richard Nathaniel Wright

Died At Age: 52

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Valencia Barnes Meadman, Ellen Poplar (1912–2004)

father: Nathan Wright

mother: Ellen

children: Julia, Rachel

Born Country: United States

Novelists Short Story Writers

Died on: November 28, 1960

place of death: Paris, France

Ancestry: American French

U.S. State: Mississippi

More Facts

awards: 1941 - Spingarn Medal
1939 - Guggenheim Fellowship
- the Story Magazine Award

  • 1

    What impact did Richard Wright's novel Native Son had?

    "Native Son" is considered a groundbreaking work that exposed the harsh realities of racial discrimination and poverty in America. It provided a powerful voice for African American experiences and challenged societal norms.

  • 2

    How did Richard Wright's experiences growing up in the South influence his writing?

    Wright's childhood experiences in the racially segregated South deeply influenced his writing, as he often drew upon his observations of systemic racism and discrimination to create powerful narratives that shed light on social injustices.
  • 3

    What themes did Richard Wright commonly explore in his works?

    Wright's works often delved into themes such as racial oppression, social inequality, and the struggle for individual identity in a prejudiced society. His writing reflected the complexities of the African American experience in the United States.
  • 4

    How did Richard Wright's migration to the North impact his writing style?

    Wright's move from the racially segregated South to the more progressive North allowed him to explore new themes and perspectives in his writing. His works evolved to reflect the urban realities and cultural shifts he encountered in cities like Chicago and New York.
  • 5

    What was the significance of Richard Wright's involvement with the Communist Party?

    Wright's association with the Communist Party during his later years reflected his commitment to social justice and equality. He saw communism as a means to challenge racial discrimination and economic inequality, although his views evolved over time.
Childhood & Early Life
Richard Nathaniel Wright was born in Plantation, Roxie, Mississippi to Ella Wilson, a school teacher, and Nathaniel Wright, a sharecropper. He was raised mostly by his maternal grandmother in Jackson, Mississippi.
He attended the Smith Robertson junior high school, where he gave the valedictorian speech. He later attended the Lanier High School in Jackson, but had to drop out to earn a living.
Deeply affected by racism all through his younger days, he authored his first story titled ‘The Voodoo of Hell's Half-Acre’, which was published in the Southern Register, a local African newspaper.
In 1927, he moved to Chicago, where he secured a job as a postal clerk and spent his spare reading acclaimed writers and studying their writing styles.
In 1933, he became frustrated with the American capital system, after he lost his postal clerk job and joined the Communist Party, for which he authored many revolutionary poems.
In 1936, his story ‘Big Boy Leaves Home’ was published in ‘New Caravan’ and the same year he joined the National Negro Congress and became the chairman of the South Side Writers Group.
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Career
In 1937, he moved to New York to seek better opportunities for his writing career and subsequently wrote for the WPA Writers' Project guidebook to the city, ‘New York Panorama’.
In 1938, his collection of short stories titled ‘Uncle Tom's Children’ was published after which he became financially stable.
In 1940, his novel ‘Native Son’, a story about a 20 year old African-American living in poverty was published by Harper & Brothers.
Published in 1945, ‘Black Boy’, his semi-autobiographical book offered an insight into his childhood, experiences of racism and his eventual move to Chicago.
In 1949, his essay ‘The God that Failed’, which contained a collection of writings from a number of ex-communists, writers and journalists was published.
In 1953, his novel ‘The Outsider’, a complex story about racism in America was published by the ‘Harper & Brothers’ publishing house.
In his 1951 essay, ‘I Choose Exile’, he gives a detailed account of his experiences of racial discrimination in New England and his final decision to migrate to France.
In 1955, after he attended the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. He wrote about his experiences at the conference and observations of Indonesian culture in ‘The Color Curtain: A Report on the Bandung Conference’.
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Recommended Lists:
Major Works
His novel ‘Native Son’ was included in ‘Time Magazines’ list of ‘100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005’ and The Modern Library placed it at number 20 on its list of the ‘100 best novels of the 20th Century’.
His semi-autobiographical book ‘Black Boy’ was an immediate bestseller and is one of seminal works that has historical, sociological, and literary significance. The book influenced writers like James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison.
Awards & Achievements
In 1939, he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship, for which he earned a prize of $500.
In 1949, he received the Spingarn Medal by ‘National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’ (NAACP), an annual award given for outstanding achievement by an African-American.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1939, he got married to Valencia Barnes Meadman, who was a modern-dance teacher of Russian-Jewish descent. The couple had two daughters, Julia and Rachel. After divorcing Valencia, he got married to Ellen Poplar in 1941.
In 1946, he shifted to Paris and became a permanent American expatriate.
In 1957, he was diagnosed with amoebic dysentery.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 52 in Paris, France.
In 2009, he was featured posthumously in a 90-minute documentary about the WPA Writers' Project titled ‘Soul of a People: Writing America's Story’.
Facts About Richard Wright
Richard Wright was an avid chess player and often used the game as a way to relax and unwind from his writing.
Wright was known to have a deep connection to nature and found solace in spending time outdoors, particularly in the company of animals.
Despite facing many challenges and obstacles in his life, Wright had a great sense of humor and enjoyed making those around him laugh.
Wright had a passion for music and was known to play the harmonica, finding inspiration and joy in creating melodies.
As a voracious reader, Wright had a diverse range of interests and was constantly seeking new knowledge and perspectives to enrich his writing.
Recommended Lists:

See the events in life of Richard Wright in Chronological Order

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