Groom also used to shrimp and he was obsessed with running at one point, like Forrest.Groom’s sheep dog is named Forrest Gump.Groom was not mentioned once in any of the film’s six Oscar-winner speeches.Winston Groom was paid $350,000 for the screenplay rights to his novel Forrest Gump and was contracted for a 3% share of the film’s net profits.All of Groom’s characters speak with southern voices.Awards: Best fiction award (Southern Library Association), 1980.The sequel’s storyline keeps to the storyline of the movie, by having Jenny die He also wrote a sequal to Forrest Gump called Gump & Co.The Forrest Gump phenonena was being such a huge success that Groom wrote Gumpsims: The Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump and Forrest Gump cookbooks.“Groom thought that the book would be an immediate success, but shockingly to family, friends, and him, the book was not the best-seller that they had all intended it to be.” When the book was first released it sold 40,000 copies, but after the movie realease it sold 1.7 million.Forrest Gump was published in 1986 however, it did not make Groom a best selling author until it was adapted into a film.(Similar to Forrest Gump who also served in the army)

Army, 1965-67: served in Vietnam, became captain.

Attended the University of Alabama, A.B.

Groom was born in Washington and grew up in Alabama, where he studied English and decided to become a writer, according to an online biography on a local heritage website written by Serena Blount from the University of Alabama.Īs a student, he served in the US Army and did a tour of Vietnam, which inspired much of his writing, and later worked as a journalist before becoming a full-time novelist.ĭownload the EWN app to your iOS or Android device. Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family.'

'While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history. Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family. While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history. Saddened to learn that Alabama has lost one of our most gifted writers.

'Saddened to learn that Alabama has lost one of our most gifted writers,' said the state's Governor Kay Ivey on Twitter.

Forrest gump book author