His realist novels, such as In Dubious Battle 1936, Of Mice and Men 1937, and The Grapes of Wrath 1939 (Pulitzer Prize) (filmed 1940), portray agricultural life in his native California, where migrant farm labourers from the Oklahoma dust bowl struggled to survive. Nobel prize 1962. Born in Salinas, California, Steinbeck worked as a labourer to support his writing career, and his experiences supplied him with authentic material for his books. He first achieved success with Tortilla Flat 1935, a humorous study of the lives of Monterey paisanos (farmers). His early naturalist works are his most critically acclaimed. Later books include Cannery Row 1944, The Wayward Bus 1947, East of Eden 1952, Once There Was a War 1958, The Winter of Our Discontent 1961, and Travels with Charley 1962. He also wrote screenplays for films, notably Viva Zapata! 1952. His best-known short story is the fable The Pearl.
