Walter Mosley is the author of 60 critically-acclaimed books of fiction nonfiction, memoir and plays. His work has been translated into 25 languages. From the first novel he published, Devil in a Blue Dress with its protagonist Easy Rawlins, Mosley’s work has explored the lives of Black men and women in America—past, present, and future—in a rich exploration of genre with his latest including the short story collection, The Awkward Black Man.
He has had several of his books adapted for film and tv including Devil in a Blue Dress, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, the Apple TV+ production of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel Jackson, and the Hulu production of his novel The Man in My Basement starring Willem Dafoe and Corey. He was also a writer and executive producer for the John Singleton series, “Snowfall.” His short fiction and nonfiction essays have been published in a wide range of outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Nation.
He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, The Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award, a Grammy ®, several NAACP Image awards, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020 he was named the recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and was awarded the Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award from the National Book Foundation.
In 1998, Mosley and the City University of New York created The Publishing Certificate Program. Created to address the critical issue of diversity in the book publishing industry, the program brings together the rich variety of racial, ethnic and cultural experiences of the students of CCNY with professionals in the industry who provide courses in core principles and skills needed to begin careers in the book industry.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mosley now lives in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.