Charles Joseph Finger

Born in Willesden, England, Charles Joseph Finger studied music in Germany before traveling through South America, where he herded livestock, searched for gold, harvested sealskins, and worked with gauchos. He later moved to the United States, became a citizen, and worked as a musician, teacher, union organizer, railway executive, and journalist.

Finger settled in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1920 and devoted himself to writing. He produced dozens of books, including adventure stories, biographies, essays, and children’s tales inspired by his travels. In addition to winning the Newbery Medal for Tales from Silver Lands, he edited Arkansas material for the Federal Writers’ Project and became a respected literary figure in the region before his death in 1941.