O. Henry

1862-1910

O. Henry (1862-1910) - the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American master of the short story, famous for warm, witty tales that snap shut on a sudden twist. He wrote about ordinary New Yorkers - clerks, shop girls and drifters - with humour and sympathy. Behind the cheerful stories lay a hard life that even included a spell in prison, where he began to write in earnest.