The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a seminal non-fiction book published on October 29, 1965, just nine months after the assassination of the legendary civil rights leader. The book was constructed from a series of intensive, in-depth interviews conducted between 1963 and 1965 by journalist Alex Haley, who later wrote the acclaimed novel Roots. It is widely celebrated as one of the most influential nonfiction works of the 20th century.