NoViolet Bulawayo

NoViolet Bulawayo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Literatures in English at Cornell University, located within the College of Arts & Sciences. She holds an MFA from Cornell University, where she received the Truman Capote Fellowship, and has held fellowships at Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford. Her academic interests focus on Creative Writing and narratives exploring displacement, immigration, and postcolonial politics.

Her debut novel, We Need New Names (2013), was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the PEN/Hemingway Prize. Her second novel, Glory (2022), critiques Zimbabwean political regimes and resonates globally with themes of resistance and diaspora. Bulawayo is the most translated author in modern Zimbabwean history.

She teaches courses including Advanced Narrative Writing, Reading for Writers, and Narrative Writing. Her work blends satire with socio-political commentary, addressing themes of power, oppression, and hope.

Award highlights include the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and recognition as a leading voice in African diaspora literature. Her research and creative output explore intersections of personal narrative and systemic critique.