Lawrence Deron Thomas

Lawrence Deron Thomas was born in the Bay Area to a Berkeley-educated teacher mother and a Vietnam veteran father. Inspired by the movie Lawrence of Arabia, his father chose the name Lawrence to perfectly embody everything he wanted for his son: strength, courage, and success.

Striving for the vision that his parents held for him, Lawrence graduated from Hawthorne High School, had a brief stint as a rapper, and discovered his true love of writing. Lawrence’s life is sprinkled with synchronicity: his paternal and maternal grandmothers are both named Elizabeth; and he shares a birthdate, within hours, but separated by years, with his brother.

An old soul, Lawrence has always been curious about the slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was this interest that inspired him to write his debut novel: Swimming in Cotton. Lawrence’s excitement about Swimming in Cotton includes his commonality with the strong relationship the protagonist Seth has with his father. Lawrence has myriad fond memories of spending time with his own late father, particularly when they spent time fishing together.