Alain Mabanckou is a novelist, poet, and nonfiction author. A French citizen born in the Republic of the Congo, he is currently professor of French and francophone studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is one of the best-known African writers in France, where he received in 2006 the Prix Renaudot, one of the highest distinctions in French literature. Mabanckou’s work has been published in 15 languages. African Psycho, Broken Glass, Memoirs of a Porcupine, Black Bazaar, Letter to Jimmy, and The Lights of Pointe-Noire have been translated into English.