Maaza Mengiste (born 1974) is an Ethiopian-American writer. Her novels include ''

Beneath the Lion's Gaze ''Beneath the Lion's Gaze'' is a 2010 novel by Ethiopian-American writer Maaza Mengiste. It describes a family in Addis Ababa in 1974, living through the transition from emperor Haile Selassie to rule by the Derg. Favorably reviewed, ''Beneath t ...

'' (2010) and '' The Shadow King'' (2019), which was shortlisted for the 2020

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

Early life

Mengiste was born in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

, Ethiopia, but left the country at the age of four when her family fled the

Ethiopian Revolution The Derg (also spelled Dergue; , ), officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, then including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when the military leadership formally " c ...

. She spent the rest of her childhood in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. She later studied in Italy as a

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

Scholar and earned an MFA degree in

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...

from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

Career

Mengiste has published fiction and nonfiction dealing with migration, the Ethiopian revolution, and the plight of sub-Saharan immigrants arriving in Europe. Her work has appeared in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'', ''

Lettre Internationale ''Lettre International'' is the title of a number of cultural magazines published in various languages in Europe. The history of ''Lettre International'' dates back to 1984, the year that the original French edition (''Lettre Internationale'') fir ...

'', '' Enkare Review'', ''

Callaloo Callaloo (many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux or callalloo; ) is a popular Caribbean vegetable dish. There are many variants across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main in ...

'', ''The Granta Anthology of the African Short Story'' (edited by

Helon Habila Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November 1967) is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in 2001. He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in 2002 to England, where he was a C ...

), ''

New Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora, ...

'' (edited by

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...

), and has been broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

. Mengiste's 2010 debut novel ''Beneath the Lion's Gaze'' – the story of a family struggling to survive the tumultuous and bloody years of the Ethiopian Revolution – was named one of the 10 best contemporary African books by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' and has been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Dutch, and Swedish. She was runner-up for the 2011

Dayton Literary Peace Prize The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual United States literary award "recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace" that was first awarded in 2006. Awards are given for adult fiction and non-fiction books published at some point ...

, and a finalist for a

Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize __NOTOC__ The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize is an annual award presented by The Center for Fiction, a non-profit organization in New York City, for the best debut novel. From 2006 to 2011, it was called the John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Pri ...

, an

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

, and an Indies Choice Book of the Year Award in Adult Debut. In 2013 she was ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book review ...

''’s Puterbaugh Fellow. She counts among her influences

E. L. Doctorow Edgar Lawrence Doctorow (January 6, 1931 – July 21, 2015) was an American novelist, editor, and professor, best known for his works of historical fiction. He wrote twelve novels, three volumes of short fiction and a stage drama. They included ...

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; de ...

, and

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

. Her second novel, ''The Shadow King'' (2019), is set during

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, shining a light on the women soldiers not usually credited in African history.

Alex Clark Alex Clark may refer to: * Alex Clark (baseball), American baseball player * Alex Clark (journalist), British literary journalist * Alex Clark (politician) Alex M. Clark (March 22, 1916 – February 14, 1991) was an American politician. He bec ...

in ''The Guardian'' said of it: "It is both a reasonably conventional narrative – there is plenty of action, detailed description and a focus spread between the principal characters – and a subtly unpredictable one. History and modernity are juxtaposed in the factual asymmetries of warfare (the Ethiopians must rely on outdated and often malfunctioning weapons and have no way of long-distance communication beyond running messengers). They are also set side by side in the modes of consciousness that all the characters experience." Michael Schaub of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

wrote: "The importance of memory — of those that came before us, and of things we'd rather forget — is at the heart of ''The Shadow King''.... The star of the novel, however, is Mengiste's gorgeous writing, which makes ''The Shadow King'' nearly impossible to put down. Mengiste has a real gift for language; her writing is powerful but never florid, gripping the reader and refusing to let go. And this, combined with her excellent sense of pacing, makes the book one of the most beautiful novels of the year. It's a brave, stunning call for the world to remember all who we've lost to senseless violence." Mengiste has also been involved in human rights work. She serves on the advisory board of ''Warscapes'', an independent online magazine that highlights current conflicts across the world, and is affiliated with the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights. Mengiste also serves on the Board of Directors for

Words Without Borders ''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...

. Alongside

Edwidge Danticat Edwidge Danticat (; born January 19, 1969) is a Haitian-American novelist and short story writer. Her first novel, ''Breath, Eyes, Memory'', was published in 1994 and went on to become an Oprah's Book Club selection. Danticat has since written or ...

and

Mona Eltahawy Mona Eltahawy ( ar, منى الطحاوى, ; born August 1, 1967) is a freelance Egyptian-American journalist and social commentator based in New York City. She has written essays and op-eds for publications worldwide on Egypt and the Islamic worl ...

, Mengiste contributed a section to Richard E. Robbins's 2013 documentary film ''

Girl Rising Girl Rising is a global movement for girls' education, based primarily around a 2013 feature film, ''Girl Rising''. Film The movie ''Girl Rising'' was produced by Kayce Freed, Tom Yellin and Holly Gordon at The Documentary Group in partnership w ...

'' on girls' education around the world for 10x10 Films, with narration by

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

, and

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

. Mengiste is currently a Professor of English at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

. Previously, she taught in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at

Queens College, City University of New York Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body ...

, and in the Creative Writing program at the Lewis Center for the Arts at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

. From January to June 2020, Mengiste was "writer in residence" of the and the in Zurich. Her novel '' The Shadow King'' (2019) was shortlisted for the 2020

. In January 2021, Otosirieze Obi-Young profiled her fo
Open Country Magazine
in the cover piece of that quarter's editio of the magazine. The Piece was titled, "Maaza Mengiste is Reframing Ethiopian History."

Awards, honors, and nominations

* Fulbright Fellowship, Italy, 2010–2011 * Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, Shortlist, 2010 * ''Beneath the Lion's Gaze'' named one of The Best Books of 2010, Fiction. ''Christian Science Monitor'', 2010 * Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Fiction Runner-up, 2011 * ''Beneath the Lion's Gaze'' named one of "The 10 Best Contemporary African Books". ''The Guardian'', 2012 * Puterbaugh Fellow, 2013 * National Endowment for the Arts, Literature Fellowship, 2018 - Prose * Creative Capital Award, Literary Fiction, 2019 * The Bridge Book Award - American Academy in Rome, US Embassy to Italy, Casa delle Letterature di Roma, Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori, Center for Fiction - Rome, 2019 * Literaturhaus - Writers in Residence, 2020 *

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

, Literature Award Winner, 2020 *

Shortlist, 2020 *

Edgar Awards The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

Short Story Prize, Winner, 2021 *

Premio Gregor von Rezzori The Premio Gregor von Rezzori (Gregor von Rezzori Award) is a literary prize awarded at the annual Festival degli Scrittori in Florence. The award was established in 2007 in honor of Gregor von Rezzori, a Mitteleuropean writer, author of novels and ...

, Winner, 2021 *

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

Cullman Fellow, 2021–2022

Works

Books

* ''

'', W.W. Norton, 2010 * '' The Shadow King'', W.W. Norton (US), 2019; Canongate (UK). * ''Addis Ababa Noir'', Akashic Books, 2020

Essays

* "Vanishing Virgil". ''Granta'', November 15, 2011 * "A New 'Tizita'", ''Callaloo'', 2011 * "The Madonna of the Sea". ''Granta'', January 30, 2012 * "Creative Writing as Translation". ''Callaloo'', 2012 * "The Conflicted Legacy of Meles Zenawi". ''Granta'', 2012 * "What Makes a Real African?". ''The Guardian'', July 7, 2013 * "We must not look away from the crises in Africa". ''The Guardian'', July 31, 2014 * "From a Shrinking Place". ''The New Inquiry'', November 25, 2014 * "Sudden Flowers". ''The New Yorker'', February 4, 2015 * "Fiction Tells a Truth That History Cannot". ''

Guernica Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...

'', November 2, 2015 * "Unheard-of Things". ''

The Massachusetts Review ''The Massachusetts Review'' is a literary quarterly founded in 1959 by a group of professors from Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It receives financial support from Five Colleg ...

'' (57:1), 2016 * "Primo Levi at the United Nations: Maaza Mengiste". ''Primo Levi Center, Printed_Matter'', May 6, 2016 * "Bending History". ''Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art'' (38–39), November 2016 * "How 'S-Town' Fails Black Listeners". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' (April 13) 2017 * "I Want My Work to Exist in the Memories of People". ''Anxy Magazine'' (3), 2018 * "Foreword". In ''Vintage Addis Ababa'', Ayaana Publishing, 2018 * "This is What the Journey Does". I
''The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Living''
Abrams Books, 2018 * "In Ethiopia's Highlands, a Search for Hope and Horror". ''Wall Street Journal'', August 20, 2019 * "Writing About the Forgotten Black Women of the Italo-Ethiopian War". ''

Literary Hub Literary Hub is a daily literary website that launched in 2015 by Grove Atlantic president and publisher Morgan Entrekin, American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame editor Terry McDonell, and Electric Literature founder Andy Hunter. Conten ...

'', September 24, 2019 * "From Homer to Alexievich: Top 10 books about the human cost of war", ''The Guardian'', January 29, 2020Mengiste, Maaza
"From Homer to Alexievich: Top 10 books about the human cost of war"
''The Guardian'', January 29, 2020.

References

General references

*Biography in Anita Theorell,
Afrika har ordet
' (2010),

Nordiska Afrikainstitutet Nordic Africa Institute ( sv, Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) serves as a research, documentation and information centre on modern Africa for the Nordic countries. The Institute also encourages research and studies on Africa. The institute was founded ...

, . *

External links

* *
Official website"Emerging from the Shadows of History: A Conversation with Maaza Mengiste"
at ''

'', March 2014
Webcast at the Library of Congress
March 21, 2013 * Eleanor Wachtel
"An Interview with Maaza Mengiste"
''

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

'', 106, December 5, 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mengiste, Maaza 1971 births 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American women academics American women novelists Ethiopian emigrants to the United States Ethiopian novelists Ethiopian women writers Living people New York University alumni Novelists from New Jersey Novelists from New York (state) People from Addis Ababa Princeton University faculty Queens College, City University of New York faculty