Hornored Members

William "Bill" Henry Banks, Jr. Former Executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild was the author of A Love so Fine (published in 1974 and widely regarded as the first African American romance novel), Fathers Behind Bars, and Black Muslims. He was also the editor of the Hartford Writers Guild Anthology, and most recently Beloved Harlem, which is a literary tribute to Black America's most famous neighborhood.

Bill became the Executive Director of The Harlem Writers Guild in 1986. During his tenure he established the Harlem Writers Guild Satellite Workshop at the Writers Voice on West 63rd Street in New York City. He secured the E-Publishing agreement with Iuniverse.com. Bill hosted a weekly television program called Metro Magazine at Medgar Evers College where he interviewed dozens of writers and poets. He also conducted writers workshops at Medgar Evers and taught fiction and nonfiction writing at both Marymount Manhattan College and The New school University until his illness.

Rosa Guy, a gifted writer, was born in Trinidad. Her family moved to Harlem, New York. Her parents died when she was very young; therefore Rosa and her sister lived in many foster homes. She was forced to quit school at the age of 14 to get a job to support herself and her sister. During World War II she was apart of the American Negro Theatre. She attended New York University where she studied theater and writing. She is the founding member of the Harlem Writers Guild and the author of many books for adults and children. A number of her works deal with the dependability of family members to care and love one another.

Bird at My Window (1966)

Another Founding member, Sara Elizabeth Wright was born in Maryland and lives in New York City. A novelist (This Childs Gonna Live) and poet. She is a former vice president of the Harlem Writers Guild and is coauthor, with Lucy Smith, of Give Me A Child. and member of The Feminist Press.