Russell Banks

Russell Banks (1940–2023) was an acclaimed American novelist and short-story writer known for his gritty, compassionate depictions of working-class American life. Educated at the University of North Carolina, he built a stellar literary career.

He achieved international acclaim as the author of powerful novels including Continental Drift, Cloudsplitter, The Sweet Hereafter, and Affliction.

Banks’s unflinching moral realism, profound empathy, and mastery of character psychology established him as a giant of contemporary American fiction. His works received numerous awards.