Henry Charles Bukowski (born as Heinrich Karl Bukowski) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was heavily influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of Los Angeles, where he spent the majority of his life. His works often depict the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the drudgery of work.

Bukowski was known for his prolific output, publishing thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories, and six novels, accumulating over sixty books throughout his career. His notable works include poems like Poems Written Before Jumping Out of an 8 Story Window and Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. These works, among others, were published by Black Sparrow Press.

Despite receiving little attention from academic critics in the U.S. during his lifetime, Bukowski was well-received in Western Europe, particularly in the U.K. and Germany. His appeal endures, with Time magazine in 1986 describing him as a "laureate of American lowlife," and The New Yorker noting the blend of confessional intimacy and larger-than-life persona in his writing.

Throughout his life, Bukowski was a controversial figure, known for his excessive drinking and bohemian lifestyle. The FBI even kept a file on him due to his column Notes of a Dirty Old Man in the LA underground newspaper Open City. His screenplay for the movie Barfly, based on his alter ego Henry Chinaski, further cemented his reputation as a "poet maldito."