Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) was a British-American novelist and screenwriter whose work helped define the hard-boiled school of detective fiction. After losing his job during the Great Depression, he turned to writing and published his first short story in Black Mask magazine in 1933. His debut novel, The Big Sleep (1939), introduced the iconic private detective Philip Marlowe, later immortalized on screen by Humphrey Bogart. Chandler went on to write seven novels, including Farewell, My Lovely, The Little Sister, and the widely acclaimed The Long Goodbye. Elected president of the Mystery Writers of America shortly before his death, Chandler remains one of the most influential voices in American crime literature.