Ralph Waldo Ellison was born on 1st March 1914 in Oklahoma City and was educated at Tuskegee University Alabama. During his time at the University, Ellison worked in the library where he spent his free time reading the likes of James Joyce and Gertrude Stein.
Ellison moved to New York in 1936 where he wrote many reviews and short stories and first met Rosa Araminter Poindexter, who became his wife in 1938. It was, however, his second wife Fanny McConnell who supported him whilst he wrote his most famous work “Invisible Man” (US – UK), which was published in 1952. This story of a man’s search for identity, won him the National Book Award in 1953.
Ralph Ellison died on April 16th 1994 having never finished his second novel, however “Juneteenth” and a collection of short stories were both published posthumously.
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