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Antwone Fisher

Award-Winning FiIm & Literary Writer

Born in an Ohio prison to a teenage mother, Antwone Fisher became a ward of the state and was placed in foster care. He lived two years in a caring foster home but was subsequently removed and suffered twelve years of abuse at the hands of his new foster family. Unable to find another home for him, at age 14, he was relocated to a penal institution for teenaged boys in western Pennsylvania, where he remained until he graduated high school at 17. Emancipated from foster care, he found himself in the world alone and homeless, living on the streets of Cleveland, Ohio.

Fisher set out on a path of healing when he entered the United States Navy, serving his country for eleven years. After his honorable discharge at the rank of E-5 (SH2), Fisher became a correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and after three years of service, he took a job with Sony Pictures Studios and worked as a security officer for eight months before being directed to a screenwriting class held in South Central Los Angeles.

Fisher has worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter for more than 26 years with major studios. Among his many projects is the classic feature film, Antwone Fisher, directed by and starring Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, and written by Fisher, based on his own life. The film garnered numerous nominations and awards.

Fisher’s first book, Finding Fish: A Memoir, chronicles his inspiring story and became a New York Times and national bestseller. His collection of poetry, Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?, was also a national bestseller, creatively revealing the road from his tumultuous childhood to the man he is today. Fisher’s third book, A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie, won the 2011 award for Best Literary Work- Instructional from the NAACP.