Teju Cole

Teju Cole is the Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice of Creative Writing at Harvard University's Department of English. He holds degrees from Kalamazoo College (B.A., 1996), SOAS, University of London (M.A., 2000), and Columbia University (M.Phil., 2006). His work bridges fiction, photography, and critical essays, exploring themes of identity, memory, and globalization. Notable works include Open City (2011), Known and Strange Things (2016), and Blind Spot (2017). His photography has been exhibited globally, and he writes regularly for publications like the New Yorker and New York Times Magazine. Cole has received prestigious awards such as the PEN/Hemingway Award and the Rosenthal Award.

His research interests span creative writing, literary and visual criticism, and the intersection of art with political and ethical questions. He has curated exhibitions, collaborated with artists like Fazal Sheikh, and delivered lectures worldwide. Cole’s essays and fiction are celebrated for their intellectual rigor and lyrical prose, blending personal narrative with broader societal critiques.