Authors' Birthdays: July

Here’s the calendar of July birthdays. Catch up with some of these classic authors this summer.

July 1: Wallace Thurman (1902-1934) was a Harlem Renaissance novelist, screenwriter and editor, whose novels include The Blacker the Berry, Infants of the Spring, and others.

July 7: Margaret Walker (1915-1998) was a poet and novelist whose well-known poem, "For My People," was from a collection of that name that won the Yale Younger Poets award. Her novel is Jubilee.

July 8: Gwendolyn Bennett (1902-1981) was a Harlem Renaissance poet and short story writer who was also an artist. She created covers for the journals Opportunity and The Messenger.

July 9: June Jordan (1936-2002) was a poet and essayist who published almost 30 books. Her articles, poems, and other writings appeared in newspapers, journals, and many other publications. She was also known for her activism.

July 12: Bill Cosby, a well-known entertainer, has published nine books of nonfiction. They include Fatherhood, Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates, and Friends of a Feather.

July 13: Wole Soyinka, from Nigeria, is a playwright, poet, and novelist. He won the Nobel Prize in 1986. His novels are The Interpreters and Season of Anomy. He has also published literary criticism and memoirs. His latest book is his fourth memoir, You Must Set Forth at Dawn.

July 19: Chester Himes (1909-1984) was a novelist. His work, in over 20 books, ranged from memoirs to fictional studies of racism and mystery novels. A few of his books are If He Hollers Let Him Go, Cotton Comes to Harlem (which was adapted for a movie), and The Quality of Hurt.