Mr. Harry Crews

Writer
1935 - Present

Inducted in 2009

A prolific author of international standing, the writer penned seventeen novels, two award-winning collections, short stories, essays and film screenplays. A brilliant novelist in the Southern Regional tradition and a longtime professor of creative writing, Mr. Crews is well known as a gifted instructor and mentor for younger writers. Rising from very difficult rural circumstances in his youth, he taught for almost a lifetime at the University of Florida in Gainesville, his alma mater. For 50 years, his writing has shined a literary spotlight on the cultures of Florida’s common folk, giving voice to their lives. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including that of The National Institute of Arts and Letters. Termed a literary lion by national media, the artist has carved out a major place for himself in the literary communities of Florida, the nation, and the world.