Chester Bomar Himes was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. In 1926, he entered Ohio State University with the intention of studying medicine but was expelled for gambling. He became an errand boy for pimps and hustlers. In 1928, he was imprisoned for armed robbery in Ohio State Penitentiary. The sentence was 25 years, but he was released in 1936. In 1937, he married Jean Lucinda Johnson. In prison he had learned the art of writing and he continued writing while working in various shipyards. In 1953, he moved to Paris and later to Spain. Himes was awarded the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in 1958 and Columbus Foundation award in 1982. His second marriage was to Lesley Packard. He died in Spain.