Jesse Ball

Jesse Ball is the Sydney Blair Memorial Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia’s English - Creative Writing Department. His works, blending absurdity and social commentary, have been translated into over 20 languages and include over 20 books of fiction, verse, and drawings.

• Research interests focus on literary fiction, narrative innovation, and cross-cultural translation.

Ball’s accolades include the Gordon Burn Prize, Paris Review’s Plimpton Prize, and recognition from the New York Times, NPR, and The New Yorker. His books have been shortlisted for prestigious awards like the National Book Award and L.A. Times Book Prize.

He holds fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Heinz Foundation, American Academy in Berlin, and Nederlands Letterenfonds. Ball was named a Granta Best Young American Novelist in 2017.