Maaza Mengiste is an Ethiopian-American writer born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1971. She has published two novels that have gained significant recognition in contemporary literature. Her debut novel, Beneath the Lion's Gaze, was published in 2010. Her second novel, The Shadow King, published in 2019, achieved particular acclaim and was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards. Mengiste received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2026, recognizing her contributions to literature and writing.