David Anthony Durham
Encyclopedia
- David Durham was also a pseudonym of mystery writer William Edward VickersWilliam Edward VickersWilliam Edward Vickers was an English mystery writer better known under his pen name Roy Vickers, but used also the pseudonyms Roy C. Vickers, David Durham, Sefton Kyle, and John Spencer...
.'
David Anthony Durham (born 1969) is an American novelist, author of historical fiction and fantasy.
Durham's first novel, Gabriel's Story, centered on African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
settlers in the American West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. Walk Through Darkness followed a runaway slave during the tense times leading up to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Pride of Carthage focused on Hannibal Barca
Hannibal Barca
Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca Hannibal's date of death is most commonly given as 183 BC, but there is a possibility it could have taken place in 182 BC. was a Carthaginian military commander and tactician. He is generally considered one of the greatest military commanders in history...
of Ancient Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
and his war with the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. His novels have twice been New York Times Notable Books, won two awards from the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
, and been translated into eight foreign languages. Gabriel's Story
Gabriel's Story
Gabriel's Story is an award-winning 2001 novel by American author David Anthony Durham.- Publication details :*Written by David Anthony Durham*First published: Doubleday, United States, 2001.- Plot summary :...
, Walk Through Darkness
Walk Through Darkness
Walk Through Darkness is a critically acclaimed 2002 novel by American author David Anthony Durham.- Publication details :*Written by David Anthony Durham*First published: Doubleday, United States, 2002.*Also published in Portuguese...
and Acacia: The War with the Mein
Acacia: The War with the Mein
Acacia: The War with the Mein is a 2007 novel by American author David Anthony Durham. It marks his first foray into epic fantasy, although the novel shares some characteristics of his other works such as the historical novel, Pride of Carthage....
are all in development as feature films. Durham's most recently released book, Acacia: The Sacred Band
Acacia: The Sacred Band
Acacia: The Sacred Band is a 2011 novel by American author David Anthony Durham, published by Doubleday. It concludes his Acacia Trilogy, which began with Acacia: The War With The Mein, which won the John W...
, concludes his epic fantasy Acacia Trilogy.
Born to parents of Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
ancestry, Durham has lived in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for a number of years. He has worked as an Outward Bound Instructor, and as a whitewater raft guide and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
instructor. After receiving an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 1996, he taught at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
. He was the MacLean Distinguished Visiting Writer at The Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
and was an Associate Professor at Cal State University, Fresno and an adjunct professor at Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
. He won the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Fiction Award
Hurston-Wright Legacy Award
The Hurston-Wright Legacy Award is a literary award given by the National Community of Black Writers.The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award is the first national award given to black American writers. The award namesakes are two of the most influential black authors, Zora Neale Hurston and Richard...
in 1992, the 2002 Legacy Award for Debut Fiction and was a Finalist for the 2006 Legacy Award for Fiction. In 2009, he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He currently teaches for the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing
Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing
The Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing is a graduate program in creative writing based at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. It enrolls approximately 100 students in four major genres: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and popular fiction...
.
Novels
- Gabriel's StoryGabriel's StoryGabriel's Story is an award-winning 2001 novel by American author David Anthony Durham.- Publication details :*Written by David Anthony Durham*First published: Doubleday, United States, 2001.- Plot summary :...
(2001) - Walk Through DarknessWalk Through DarknessWalk Through Darkness is a critically acclaimed 2002 novel by American author David Anthony Durham.- Publication details :*Written by David Anthony Durham*First published: Doubleday, United States, 2002.*Also published in Portuguese...
(2002) - Pride of CarthagePride of CarthagePride of Carthage is a 2005 a novel about the Second Punic War by American author David Anthony Durham. It was first published by Doubleday, in the United States, 2005...
(2005) - Acacia:
- Acacia: The War with the MeinAcacia: The War with the MeinAcacia: The War with the Mein is a 2007 novel by American author David Anthony Durham. It marks his first foray into epic fantasy, although the novel shares some characteristics of his other works such as the historical novel, Pride of Carthage....
(2007) - Acacia: The Other Lands (2009)
- Acacia: The Sacred BandAcacia: The Sacred BandAcacia: The Sacred Band is a 2011 novel by American author David Anthony Durham, published by Doubleday. It concludes his Acacia Trilogy, which began with Acacia: The War With The Mein, which won the John W...
(October 2011)
- Acacia: The War with the Mein
Articles and short stories
- “Snake Up Above”, "Snake In The Hole" and "Snake On Fire" (stories), (Fort Freak, edited by George RR Martin, Tor, June 2011).
- “An Act of Faith” (story), (It’s All Love, edited by Marita Golden, Doubleday, February 2009).
- “Appreciation: The Green House, by Mario Vargas LlosaMario Vargas LlosaJorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquis of Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian-Spanish writer, politician, journalist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate. Vargas Llosa is one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists, and one of the leading authors of his generation...
” (book recommendation, with commentary), (The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, edited by J. Peder Zane, W. W. Norton, January 2007). - “Recommendation: A Scot’s Quair, by Lewis Grassic GibbonLewis Grassic GibbonLewis Grassic Gibbon was the pseudonym of James Leslie Mitchell , a Scottish writer.-Biography:...
” (book recommendation, with commentary), (Post Road, 2005). - “An Act of Faith” (story), (Intimacy: Erotic Stories of Love, Lust, and Marriage by Black Men, edited by Robert Fleming, Plume, February 2004).
- “The Boy-Fish” (story), (Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writing, edited by Marita GoldenMarita GoldenMarita Golden is an award-winning novelist, nonfiction writer, distinguished teacher of writing and co-founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, a national organization that serves as a resource center for African-American writers....
and E. Lynn HarrisE. Lynn HarrisEverette "E." Lynn Harris was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African American men who were on the down-low and closeted...
, Harlem Moon Press, October 2002). - “The She-Ape and the Occasional Idealist” (short story), (QWF (UK), June/July 2000).
- “One Room Like a Cave” (story), (Staple: New Writing (UK), 1998).
- “The Boy-Fish” (story), (Catalyst, Spring 1992).