Alain Mabanckou was born on February 24, 1966, in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. He is a novelist, journalist, poet, and academic who holds French citizenship. He currently serves as a Professor of Literature at UCLA. Mabanckou is best known for his novels and non-fiction writing that depict the experience of contemporary Africa and the African diaspora in France. His notable works include Broken Glass (2005) and Memoirs of a Porcupine (2006), the latter of which won the Prix Renaudot. He is among the most successful writers in the French language and one of the best known African writers in France. In some circles in Paris, he is known as "the Samuel Beckett of Africa."