Themes in Literature/Belonging and Exile/About the Authors

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, producer, and television host. Born on in Johannesburg, South Africa, Noah grew up during the apartheid era and faced numerous challenges as a mixed-race child in a predominantly white country. Despite this, he discovered his talent for comedy at a young age and began performing stand-up comedy. In 2011, he made his television debut in South Africa, before becoming a correspondent on The Daily Show and eventually taking over as host from 2015 to 2022. Noah has written several books, including the memoir Born a Crime, which details his experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa.

Edwidge Danticat is a Haitian American author and professor. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she immigrated to the United States as a teenager. Danticat is best known for her fiction, which explores themes of displacement, immigration, and identity. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and a National Book Critics Circle Award for her collection of stories,'' Krik? Krak! ''Danticat is also active in social and political activism, particularly in regard to Haiti and the Haitian community. She has taught creative writing at several universities and continues to be a prominent voice in contemporary literature.

J.M. Coetzee is a South African-born novelist, essayist, and translator. Born in Cape Town, he has lived in Australia since 2002 and holds dual citizenship in both countries. Coetzee is known for his distinctive writing style and themes of political oppression, personal isolation, and ethical dilemmas. He has won numerous awards for his writing, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003 and two Booker Prizes. Coetzee is regarded as one of the most important writers of his generation and his works have been translated into numerous languages. His novels often explore the complexities of the human experience and challenge readers to question their own values and beliefs.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author and public speaker. Born in 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, she has lived in the United States since her early 20s. Adichie is known for her fiction and non-fiction works, which explore themes of identity, race, and gender. Her novels include Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Americanah. Adichie's TEDx talk, "The Danger of a Single Story," has been viewed over 15 million times and is widely regarded as a seminal moment in the conversation around diversity in literature. She has received numerous awards for her writing and activism, and is considered one of the most important voices of her generation.

Jhumpa Lahiri is an Indian American author and professor. Born in London to Bengali parents, she grew up in the United States and currently resides in Rome, Italy. Lahiri is best known for her fiction, which explores themes of identity, culture, and displacement, often within the context of the Indian American experience. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her debut short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies. Lahiri's works have been widely praised for their lyrical prose and insight into the complexities of the human experience.

Alice Munro is a Canadian short story writer and Nobel Prize winner. Born in Wingham, Ontario, she has lived in Canada her entire life. Munro is considered one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th century, and her works often explore the complexities of human relationships and the inner lives of women. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, and her collections of stories have been widely praised for their depth and insight. Munro's writing is known for its elegance, emotional power, and psychological nuance.

Alice Walker is an American novelist, poet, and activist. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, she has been a prominent voice in the Civil Rights Movement and the feminist movement. Walker is best known for her novel The Color Purple, which was published in 1982 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983. The novel explores themes of identity, oppression, and self-discovery and has been widely regarded as a literary classic. In addition to her writing, Walker is also known for her activism, particularly in regards to women's rights and environmental issues.