Penguin Random House, author portrait placeholder image

John Hersey

John Hersey was born in Tientsin, China, in 1914 and lived there until 1925, when his family returned to the United States. He studied at Yale and Cambridge, served for a time as Sinclair Lewis’s secretary, and then worked several years as a journalist. Beginning in 1947, he devoted his time mainly to writing fiction. He won the Pulitzer Prize, taught for two decades at Yale, and was president of the Authors League of America and chancellor of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. John Hersey died in 1993.
Hiroshima
Too Far to Walk
Under the Eye of the Storm
The Walnut Door
White Lotus
The Child Buyer
Life Sketches
My Petition For More Space
The War Lover
Here to Stay
The Conspiracy
The Call
The Marmot Drive
The President
Fling and Other Stories
Key West Tales
Antonietta
A Single Pebble
A Bell for Adano
The Wall
Blues

Books

Hiroshima
Too Far to Walk
Under the Eye of the Storm
The Walnut Door
White Lotus
The Child Buyer
Life Sketches
My Petition For More Space
The War Lover
Here to Stay
The Conspiracy
The Call
The Marmot Drive
The President
Fling and Other Stories
Key West Tales
Antonietta
A Single Pebble
A Bell for Adano
The Wall
Blues

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more