About Richard Banks

Richard Banks is a playwright, novelist, award-winning short story writer, and occasional background actor.

An explorer at heart, Rick flew helicopters in Croatia, Macedonia, and Alaska, worked for the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and spent years as an airline pilot before turning to writing full-time. His home in Texas, affectionately dubbed “Base Camp," serves as the hub for both his travels and creative pursuits.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers selected his novel The Price of Ash (formerly titled Discipline) as a finalist for the 2023 Rocky Mountain Gold Contest, and his short story “Rent Money: A Me and Mickey Story” won a Zebulon Award from Pikes Peak Writers in 2020. 

Rick has also received recognition in the E.M. Koeppel Short Fiction Contest, the Writers-Editors Network competition, and two awards from the Denver Women’s Press Club. His short fiction appeared in Nefarious North Anthology.

Rick’s play The Weigh Station earned staged readings at the Questors Theatre Q-Extra in London in July 2024, as well as with Actors and Writers London in November 2024. He is currently developing several other plays, including Look Left, Look Right, Being Ernest, and Painting with Water.

Rick also writes Window on the World, a weekly Substack exploring the intersection of curiosity, memory, and the idea of living one good life. His essays blend personal stories, travel, and quiet humor in a voice both reflective and conversational.

In addition to his fiction, Rick has written feature articles for several Colorado publications and was a regular contributor to Colorado Community Media.

Rick holds a Master of Liberal Studies in Global Affairs and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Creative Writing from the University of Denver.