Gilbert King
Gilbert King is an American author and winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction writing. He is best known for his work Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America, a historic narrative of racial injustice, which chronicles a notorious case of injustice in 1949 Florida, where four young black men were arrested and subjected to extreme injustice by a sheriff hell-bent on revenge. King’s work has earned him accolades from literary professionals, including New York Times Book Reviewer, Edward P. Jones, who stated King’s work was “required reading for understanding the United States”.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, King is a third-generation Harlemite in his 60s. He studied Journalism at Florida A&M University and later attended New York University’s Graduate School of Journalism. After graduating, King pursued a career as a journalist, writing for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Atlanta Constitution and other outlets.
It was during this period of his life, in the course of researching a civil rights story in Polk County, Florida, that King uncovered the case of a 1949 incident involving Thurgood Marshall and four young black men—known as “the Groveland Boys”—who were victims of racism, injustice and a Sheriff’s obsession with revenge. King was struck both by injustice and the courage of the men and women in the case. The story that began to unfold inspired him to write Devil in the Grove—an account of the case, a tribute to the characters involved and of course an exploration of deep and inexcusable racism that ran rampant through the Deep South of the early- to mid-20th century.
The story unfolded in difficulty and with considerable resistance from the local sheriff. King persevered, nonetheless and three years later, in 2012, Devil in the Grove won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction Writing.
King continues to write on subjects of social injustice and historical significance, most notably with his 2014 novel, Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race and Justice Lost and Found, a narrative non-fiction account of a controversial 1957 case in Lake County, Florida. The main character, 25-year-old housewife, Frances Golden, was faced with accusations of a violent crime for which she was incarcerated without trial. Her case rose to popular attention and the case became a metaphor for racial justice in the United States during the 1950s.
He then went on to write The Execution of Willie Francis: Racial Politics and the Death Penalty in 1940s Louisiana, a story of racism, desperation, and the role of the Supreme Court in determining justice.
King is an avid reader who enjoys classic novels and works by authors such as Mark Twain, William Faulkner and Harper Lee. While researching and writing Devil in the Grove, King made several trips to the Groveland Library to read original documents and newspapers related to the case.
King lives in New York City, where he works as a freelance journalist and writes on the diverse issues facing people of color. His books, which are all novel-length, combine legal, social and political issues into stories of hope and humanity. To King, there is no one better suited to make a moral appraisal of the past than a writer who’s a storyteller. He believes this is the best service a writer can offer—a way to make sense of the turmoil and chaos of the world by looking back in time.
He hopes his works will inspire readers to think more deeply about their own times and the potential for their own social activism. Through his books, King continues to share stories that raise questions about justice and morality in modern society, without ever losing sight of the potential for redemption and hope.
At his core, Gilbert King is is a storyteller and a champion for justice for all. He has dedicated his life and his writing to uncovering truth and advocating for the rights of those whose stories are too often unheard.
