Alan Grostephan

Alan Grostephan is an Associate Professor of English in the Department of English at Agnes Scott College, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. He teaches creative writing across genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and literary translation, and his scholarship centers on literary modernism, 20th-century American literature, post-colonial literature, and Latin American literatures.

His educational background includes a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and an MFA from the University of California at Irvine.

His research and creative interests focus on literary expression in marginalized communities, particularly through creative writing and theater in post-colonial contexts. He co-founded a nonprofit in a Bogotá, Colombia slum in 2001, where he taught creative writing and drama. His editorial and literary work includes Stories of Life and Death, a translated collection of writings by Colombian youth, and his novel Bogotá, which received critical acclaim, including being longlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award and named one of the top ten fiction books of 2013 by The Wall Street Journal. He is currently completing his second novel.

His achievements have been recognized through notable literary honors:

• Longlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award
• Selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best ten books of fiction in 2013

While no formal advisees are listed, Professor Grostephan has significantly contributed to literary education and community engagement, particularly through international outreach and creative mentorship. He is actively involved with the English department’s Writers & Scholars Series and the Decatur Book Festival. His work bridges academic scholarship with public-facing literary practice. He is affiliated with the Center for Writing and Speaking and contributes to the Writers' Festival at Agnes Scott College.