John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (/ˈstaɪnbɛk/; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Some of his most famous works are Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1940), which won a Pulitzer Prize. In these two books, Steinbeck writes about migrant workers during the Great Depression.
Steinbeck used naturalism in his books. His characters and stories came from real events from the early 20th century. His work shows his wide range of interests, such as politics, history, philosophy and mythology.
Seventeen of his works were made into Hollywood movies. Steinbeck also tried screen writing, which is writing for movies. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing in Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 movie, Lifeboat.