Alain Mabanckou is considered one of Francophone Africa’s most prolific contemporary writers. Born in what is now called Congo-Brazzaville, Mabanckou’s work has garnered a multitude of awards, including the Prix de la Société des Poètes Français and the prestigious Grand Prix de la Littérature from the Académie Française. Twice a finalist for the Man Booker Prize, his themes include his love for mother and motherland, exile, civil war and political corruption, nostalgia for childhood, and hope for a better Africa-to-come. When Mabanckou is not teaching at UCLA, he spends the rest of his time in France or traveling the globe.