August Derleth

Born in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1909, August Derleth became one of the most versatile American writers of his era. He published fiction, poetry, essays, history, and work for younger readers, and his strong connection to his home state shaped much of what he wrote.

He is especially remembered for championing H. P. Lovecraft after Lovecraft’s death. With Donald Wandrei, he co-founded Arkham House in 1939, a small press created to bring Lovecraft’s stories into durable hardcover editions. That effort helped keep Lovecraft in print and influenced generations of horror and fantasy readers.

Derleth also built a substantial body of work of his own, including supernatural tales, detective stories, and the popular Sac Prairie books inspired by life in small-town Wisconsin. He died in 1971, but his reputation endures both through his own writing and through the publishing legacy he helped create.