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The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell — book cover

The Old Drift

by Namwali Serpell

Arthur C. Clarke Award · 2020 · Winner
Hogarth Presssffliterary-fictionISBN 9780525559023

Award History

AwardYearStatus
Arthur C. Clarke Award2020Winner

About This Book

Three families—English, Italian, and Zambian—intertwine across generations from the colonial era to a near-future Zambia in this sweeping Clarke-winning debut, narrated by a chorus of mosquitoes.

About the Author

Namwali SerpellZambian-American

Namwali Serpell is a Zambian-American author and academic. Born in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1980, she moved to the United States as a child. She is a Professor of English at Harvard University, where she teaches courses on African literature, narrative theory, and the history of the novel. Read more →

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