About
Richard Banks is the pen name of Rick Gustafson, a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and award-winning short story writer.
Before turning to writing full-time, he served as a UN peacekeeper in Yugoslavia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and trained as a safari guide in Africa. His fiction draws on African landscapes and a life shaped by travel. He writes from his home in Texas, known as Base Camp.
Playwright and Screenwriter
Richard is currently producing his play Painting with Water for a three-performance run at Bread & Roses Theatre during the 2026 Lambeth Fringe. Bread & Roses will also present his short play Nothing to Declare in autumn 2026, and The Lion Rule is slated for Side Hustle Scratch that same season.
In 2026, Questors Theatre produced his short play Back Before Dark as part of The Overnight Plays. Questors Theatre also presented a reading of his full-length play The Weigh Station in 2024. Later that year, the play received a second reading at Actors and Writers London.
His full-length play Being Ernest reached the second round of the 2025 Austin Film Festival Script Competition. He is also developing the musical Super Skier, the TV pilot Over There, and new work for stage and screen.
Novelist
His novel The Price of Ash was shortlisted for the 2026 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award and was a finalist for the 2025 Faulkner–Wisdom Award and the 2023 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Rush Award. His novella Me & Mickey was runner-up for the 2025 Faulkner–Wisdom Award.
Short story writer
Richard’s short fiction earned a Zebulon Award from Pikes Peak Writers and first place in the E.M. Koeppel Short Fiction Contest, along with recognition from the Writers–Editors Network and the Denver Women’s Press Club. His work appears in The Nefarious North Anthology.
Background actor
Richard’s background acting credits include Yellowstone, Landman, The Madison, Lioness, Frisco King, and One in a Million.
Education
Richard holds a Master of Liberal Studies in Global Affairs and a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Denver, along with undergraduate degrees from the University of North Dakota.