Namwali Serpell

Namwali Serpell is an award-winning author and professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. She has written several books, including a latest novel titled The Old Drift. Serpell has gained critical accolades for her work, affirming her status as one of the most talented African authors currently writing today.

Born in Zambia in 1979, Namwali Serpell’s life has been colored by both tragedy and triumph. Her parents, who were educators, had to flee from Ethiopia and found themselves as exiles in Zambia. This had a large impact on her, inspiring her to write about the experiences of her parents and to use her writing as a way to explore her family’s history.

An early love of literature developed quickly in Serpell, and she attended the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she earned a Masters in Comparative Literature. She then went on to pursue a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Harvard University.

In 2014, Serpell published her debut novel, The Old Drift, which has been critically acclaimed and took the African literary world by storm. It was named the winner of the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Prize and the 2017 Etisalat Prize for Literature. The book has been described as “an ambitious, dizzying, and ultimately dazzling story of three Zambian families across three-and-a-half centuries.”

Set in Zambia, The Old Drift follows several generations of a family as they struggle and triumph against the changing tides of history. It’s a sweeping tale that captures the complexity of Zambia and its people. The novel touches on various subjects, including colonialism, politics and civil war, as well as family drama and the complex power of love.

The novel explores cultural history and the identities of people who inhabit Zambia today through a kaleidoscope of vibrant characters. It also pays homage to traditional Zambian folk tales, cleverly intertwined into the narrative.

In addition to her novel, Serpell has also written a collection of short stories called Seven Modes of Uncertainty. It was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Short Story Collection.

Serpell has also written critical essays, which are published in journals, newspapers, and magazines in the US and abroad. She is also a lecturer in literary studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and a contributing editor for The Kenyan feminist journal Chirp magazine.

With her award-winning work, Namwali Serpell has cemented her status as one of the most important African authors of our time. She is a powerful voice in literature that deserves to be heard, and her work provides vivid insight into the complex history, politics, and culture of Zambia. Her writing is a captivating exploration of identity, family, and love, and she is a perfect author to explore the beauty and struggles of African life.