Literature of the Day: Namwali Serpell

Namwali Serpell

Namwali Serpell is a Zambian writer whose work blends historical fiction, magical realism, and science fiction. Born in Lusaka in 1980, she writes in English and explores the complex legacies of colonialism and cultural syncretism. Her debut novel, The Old Drift, won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and established her as a significant voice in contemporary literature.

The Author

Serpell spent her early childhood in Zambia before her family relocated to the United States. She writes primarily in English, drawing on the linguistic diversity and historical turbulence of her birthplace. Her academic background as a literary critic and professor at Harvard University deeply informs her narrative approach. By examining the intersections of race, history, and identity, she constructs worlds that reflect the multifaceted nature of the African diaspora.

The Craft

Serpell employs a highly structured yet expansive narrative style, often organizing her work around intricate patterns and recurring motifs. Her prose balances sharp humor with profound grief, using vivid imagery to ground speculative concepts in physical reality. In The Old Drift, she utilizes a chorus of mosquitoes as a collective narrator, providing a unique, non-human perspective on human history. This structural choice allows her to weave together multiple generations and genres without losing the emotional core of her characters.

From the Page

“The best kind of tale tells you in the end, unveils the unsolvable riddle.”

This brief passage from The Old Drift (2019) captures the philosophical essence of the mosquito chorus that narrates the novel. The collective voice serves as an omniscient observer, commenting on the cyclical nature of human mistakes and triumphs. Readers admire this device because it subverts traditional historical storytelling, offering a perspective that is simultaneously intimate and vast. By framing the narrative as a riddle, Serpell invites the audience to actively engage with the complex history of Zambia.

Reading Guide

• The Old Drift (2019) — Start here for a sweeping, multigenerational epic that blends Zambian history with speculative fiction.
• The Furrows (2022) — Read this to explore a deeply personal, elegiac novel about grief, memory, and the loss of a sibling.