Nelle Harper Lee

State: Alabama

Born in Monroeville, Alabama (1926–2016), Harper Lee transformed American literature with her debut To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), which won the Pulitzer Prize. Grounded in Alabama’s Deep South, the novel addresses racial injustice through the eyes of young Scout Finch. Lee later published Go Set a Watchman (2015), an early draft of her classic. A new collection, The Land of Sweet Forever, will be released October 21, 2025. Her work remains a school curriculum staple and a touchstone of social conscience.

Genres: Contemporary, Historical Fiction

Audiences: Adult, Young Adult