Earl Derr Biggers

Biography

Earl Derr Biggers (1884–1933) was an American novelist and playwright, best known as the creator of Charlie Chan, the Chinese-American detective of the Honolulu Police Department. Born in Warren, Ohio, and educated at Harvard, Biggers worked as a journalist and playwright before publishing The House Without a Key (1925), introducing Chan. The six Charlie Chan novels became international bestsellers and spawned a massive film franchise. While the character has been debated in terms of Asian representation, Biggers created Chan as a deliberate counter to the racist Fu Manchu stereotype—an intelligent, cultured, and dignified hero.