Alain Mabanckou is a novelist, journalist, poet, and academic. A French citizen born in Republic of the Congo, he currently lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches literature and creative writing at UCLA. His books include African Psycho, Letter to Jimmy, Black Bazaar, Tomorrow I'll Be Twenty, The Lights of Pointe-Noire, and Black Moses. Mabanckou has twice been a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, in 2015 and 2017.
.. .as Mabanckou explores correlations between Baldwin's ideas and the contemporary world, the book really comes into its own....One of the most influential and fearless writers of the 20th century, Baldwin deserves this celebration of his life, so that readers may encounter, in a new light, the fortitude of this true revolutionary. -- Publishers Weekly .. .a touching and personal tribute to James Baldwin...Mabanckou has written an odd, emotional, and quite beautiful homage to a writer who remains a major African American voice almost 27 years after his death. -- Booklist This short book provides many insights into the life and work of James Baldwin (1924-1987)... Deeply intimate, Letter to Jimmy is a tribute from one expatriate writer to another who achieved his dream of becoming 'an honest man and a good writer. -- Gay & Lesbian Review