David Anthony Durham is an American novelist known for both historical fiction and fantasy. Born in New York City, he studied at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County before earning an MFA from the University of Maryland, College Park. His fiction has received considerable critical recognition: his novels have twice been selected as New York Times Notable Books, while his debut, Gabriel’s Story, won both the First Novel Award and an Alex Award from the American Library Association. Durham has also taught creative writing at several universities and has written for television as well as publishing novels and short fiction.
Durham's historical novels range widely across different periods. Gabriel’s Story follows African American settlers in the American West, while Walk Through Darkness tells the story of a fugitive enslaved man searching for his pregnant wife in the years before the American Civil War. Pride of Carthage recreates Hannibal Barca's struggle against Rome during the Second Punic War, and The Risen turns to the ancient world again to tell the story of Spartacus and the great slave revolt against the Roman Republic. Durham also writes epic fantasy, most notably the Acacia trilogy, as well as the Egyptian-inspired Shadow Prince series. Across his historical fiction he combines large-scale warfare and political upheaval with stories centred on the individuals experiencing those events.
