Christopher Coake

Christopher Coake is a Professor and Director of the Residential MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the author of the novels You Would Have Told Me Not To (2020) and You Came Back (2012), the latter of which was adapted into the Italian film Lasciami Andare (2020) premiering at the Venice Film Festival. His short story collection We're In Trouble (2005) earned the PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship and was recognized in Granta's Best of Young American Novelists (2007).

Education:

• MFA, Ohio State University, 2004
• MA, Miami University of Ohio, 1998
• BA, Ball State University, 1993

Coake’s research focuses on creative writing (fiction), with thematic emphasis on mystery, noir, and horror literature. His work often intersects with film adaptation and explores narrative structures, literary editing, and genre conventions. Recent publications highlight his engagement with short-form storytelling and modern literary fiction.

Honors and Awards:

• PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship
• Granta's Best of Young American Novelists 2007