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Namwali Serpell

ナムワリ・サーペル

Namwali Serpell

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Lusaka, Zambia
Nationality
Zambian, American
Languages
English
Residence History
Lusaka, Zambia (born) → Baltimore, Maryland, USA (raised) → United States (residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Professor of English
Active Years
2008-
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (Professor of English, 2008–2020), Harvard University (Professor of English, current)
Influenced By
Toni Morrison

Education

Yale University
Department of English / English Literature
Degree: BA
Country: United States
Harvard University
Graduate School / American and British Literature
Degree: PhD
Country: United States
PhD dissertation: The Ethics of Uncertainty

Awards

Caine Prize for African Writing
2015
Work: The Sack
Organization: Caine Prize
Result: Won
Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award
2011
Category: Fiction
Organization: Rona Jaffe Foundation
Result: Won
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize
2020
Category: Fiction
Organization: Windham–Campbell Prizes
Result: Won
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
2020
Work: The Old Drift
Category: Fiction
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf
Result: Won
Arthur C. Clarke Award
2020
Work: The Old Drift
Organization: Arthur C. Clarke Award
Result: Won
Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA): Belles-Lettres
2019
Work: The Old Drift
Category: Belles-Lettres
Organization: Grand Prix of Literary Associations
Result: Won
Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction
2019
Work: The Old Drift
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: Won
Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
2019
Work: The Old Drift
Organization: Center for Fiction
Result: Longlisted
National Book Critics Circle Award
2022
Work: The Furrows
Category: Fiction
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: Shortlisted
Sunday Times Short Story Award
2020
Work: Take It
Organization: The Sunday Times
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Old Drift

2019 Novel — historical fiction with science-fiction elements

A sprawling debut tracing intertwined histories of three families over generations in and around Lusaka, exploring colonialism, migration, and the interplay of technology and politics. The novel mixes historical narrative with speculative/near-future elements and varied narrative forms.

colonialismmigration and family historiestechnology and politics

The Furrows

2022 Novel

A novel that examines disappearance and loss, using distinctive style and shifts of perspective to track memory, testimony, and traces of violence.

lossmemoryimpact of violence

The Sack

2014 Short story

A short story that layers a terrifying dream with personal and political resonances; winner of the 2015 Caine Prize.

dreams and realityhistorical memorybody and trauma

Bibliography

  • The Old Drift (2019)
  • The Furrows (2022)
  • Short story 'Muzungu' (2010)
  • Short story 'The Sack' (2014)
  • Seven Modes of Uncertainty (2014, criticism)
  • Stranger Faces (2020, nonfiction)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
experimental narrationgenre-blending (historical fiction + sci-fi)lush description and multiple perspectives
Recurring Motifs
family genealogiesmovement and bordersmemory and trauma

Legacy

A Zambian-born, US-based writer who established an international reputation with her genre-blending debut The Old Drift. Winner of major prizes including the Caine Prize, Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Windham–Campbell Prize, she exerts influence on contemporary African literature and the broader literary world.

Quotes

  • “Fiction is not a competitive sport.”
    Source: Statement after winning the Caine Prize (interview) (2015)

Trivia

  • After winning the 2015 Caine Prize she announced she would share the prize money with the other shortlisted writers.
  • When she won the 2020 Arthur C. Clarke Award she pledged the prize money to bail funds for protesters.
  • Became a U.S. citizen in 2017.