Richard Layman

Richard Layman attended Indiana University, the University of Louisville, and the University of South Carolina, where he received his PhD in 1975. Rick has been Editorial Director of award-winning reference books since 1978. He is president of Layman Publishing Partners,  which evolved  from Bruccoli Clark Layman Publishers and produces, among other award-winning reference series, the 400+-volume the Dictionary of Literary Biography, called the most impressive literary reference series in publishing history by Library Journal, and Gale Literature Criticism, the largest curated collection of literature criticism in the world. He also serves on the executive council of the South Carolina Academy of Authors.

Rick is a trustee of the Literary Property Trust of Dashiell Hammett. Among his books are nine on Dashiell Hammett, including the definitive bibliography, the first full-length biography, Hammett’s Selected Letters, and Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade. Layman’s books have twice been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award. He has also written or edited books on Ring Lardner and John Dos Passos, as well as general works on American literature.

Rick lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife, Nancy.