Writer Ralph Ellison was an American novelist, literary critic, and scholar. He is best known for his novel 'Invisible Man', which won the National Book Award in 1953. Ellison also wrote short stories, essays, and plays. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a movement of African-American writers and artists in the 1920s and 1930s. Ellison's work explored the African-American experience and sought to challenge traditional views of race and identity.