MICHAEL CONNELLY - Author

Michael Connelly, the acclaimed author behind the Harry Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer series, reveals how a 19-year-old epiphany watching Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye sparked a lifelong obsession with crime fiction—and ultimately led him to become one of the most influential crime writers of his generation. What’s striking isn’t just his journey from dishwasher to bestselling novelist, but how deeply his career was shaped by real-world experience: 14 years as a crime reporter in Fort Lauderdale, where he walked into police stations like a regular, and later, a life-altering moment when he found a gun in a hedgerow—only to spend a night side-by-side with a detective who would become the blueprint for Harry Bosch. Connelly’s writing is not just rooted in fiction, but in the gritty reality of police work, journalism, and even the psychological toll of war, all of which he channels into his characters with unmatched authenticity. He also candidly shares his frustration with Hollywood’s treatment of his work—where he was often sidelined on film sets—leading him to embrace television, where he now has creative control, especially on streaming platforms that respect his vision. Most provocatively, he’s now a lead plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against OpenAI for training AI on authors’ books without consent, despite never using AI himself. His philosophy? The joy of discovery—of stumbling upon a forgotten fact in a dusty archive—is irreplaceable.