Henry Chinaski

"Chinaski" redirects here. For the Czech band, see Chinaski (band).

Henry Charles "Hank" Chinaski is the semi-autobiographical protagonist of several works by the American writer Charles Bukowski. He appears in five of Bukowski's novels, a number of his short stories and poems, and the 1987 film Barfly. An author character, Chinaski's biography is largely based on Bukowski's own. The works featuring him are Confessions of a Man Insane Enough to Live With the Beasts (1965), Post Office (1971), South of No North (1973), Factotum (1975), Women (1978), Ham on Rye (1982), Hot Water Music (1983), Hollywood (1989), and Septuagenarian Stew (1990). He is also mentioned briefly in the beginning of Bukowski's last novel, Pulp.

Chinaski was portrayed by Mickey Rourke in the film Barfly, which Bukowski himself wrote. He was also portrayed by Matt Dillon in the film Factotum, released in 2005. In the Dutch short film "De Blauwe Bus" (The Blue Bus), which was released in 2009, he was portrayed by Jan Mulder.