Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead is a distinguished author and Lecturer in the School of Humanities at Purchase College. He has held academic roles at Princeton University, New York University, Columbia University, and others, and has been a Writer-in-Residence at Vassar College and other institutions. His work bridges fiction, essays, and nonfiction, exploring themes of race, history, and culture.

Whitehead's major works include Underground Railroad (National Book Award, 2016; Pulitzer Prize, 2017), Zone One, and Sag Harbor. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, and Granta. He is a MacArthur Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow, among other accolades.

His research interests focus on African American literature, historical narratives, and the intersection of cultural criticism with speculative fiction. He has received over a dozen major literary awards recognizing his innovative storytelling and thematic depth.