O. Henry

O. Henry, born William Sidney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1862, loved books from childhood but did not pursue formal education for long. In his youth, he worked as a pharmacist’s assistant, a draftsman, an accountant, and a journalist. A turning point came during his years in a bank, when he was accused of financial misconduct and sent to
prison. Although the charges remain controversial, his time behind bars marked the beginning of his creative career: it was there that he began sending stories to newspapers under the pen name O. Henry.
Despite his short life, O. Henry wrote around 600 stories, translated into almost every major language. To this day, his name remains synonymous with the American short story. His literary legacy endures as classic and beloved, thanks to its deep humanity and timeless sense of humor.