Zadie Smith is a celebrated English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, *White Teeth*, achieved immediate success upon its release in 2000, earning her numerous accolades. In 2010, Smith became a tenured professor in the Creative Writing program at New York University, solidifying her position as a prominent figure in contemporary literature and academia.
1923: Inclusion in Time's List
The text mentions that White Teeth was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005.
1932: Reform Act of 1932
The text mentions the Reform Act 1932 in the context of Zadie Smith writing a historical novel.
October 1975: Zadie Smith's Birth
In October 1975, Zadie Smith, originally named Sadie Smith, was born.
1997: Introduction of White Teeth to Publishing World
In 1997, Zadie Smith's debut novel, White Teeth, was introduced to the publishing world before completion, leading to an auction won by Hamish Hamilton based on a partial manuscript.
July 2000: James Wood's Literary Criticism
In July 2000, James Wood critiqued Zadie Smith's debut work in an essay entitled "Human, All Too Inhuman", categorizing White Teeth as part of a contemporary genre of hysterical realism.
2000: Publication and Acclaim of White Teeth
In 2000, White Teeth, Zadie Smith's debut novel, was published and immediately became a best-seller, receiving international acclaim and several awards, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Betty Trask Award.
2000: Interview with The Guardian
In 2000, in an interview with The Guardian, Zadie Smith clarified that she received a Third in her Part Ones at Cambridge, not a double First as previously reported.
October 2001: Smith's Response to Criticism
In October 2001, Zadie Smith responded to James Wood's criticism in The Guardian, agreeing with the accuracy of the term hysterical realism but rejecting her debut being categorized alongside other authors.
2001: Guest-Editing The Mays Anthology
In 2001, Zadie Smith returned to guest-edit The Mays Anthology, a collection of new student writing where she had previously published short stories.
2002: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
In 2002, Zadie Smith was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
2002: Adaptation of White Teeth for Television
In 2002, Zadie Smith's novel, White Teeth, was adapted for television.
2002: Publication of The Autograph Man
In 2002, Zadie Smith's second novel, The Autograph Man, was published and achieved commercial success, although it received less critical acclaim than White Teeth.
2003: Granta's Best Young Authors List
In 2003, Zadie Smith was included on Granta magazine's list of 20 best young authors.
2004: Marriage to Nick Laird
In 2004, Zadie Smith married Nick Laird in King's College Chapel, Cambridge.
2004: Influential Figure in British Culture
In 2004, Zadie Smith was named among the top twenty most influential people in British culture in a BBC poll of cultural researchers.
2005: Inclusion in Time's List
The text mentions that White Teeth was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005.
November 2006: Move to Rome
In November 2006, Zadie Smith and her husband Nick Laird moved to Rome, where they lived until 2007.
November 2009: Publication of Changing My Mind
In November 2009, some portions of Zadie Smith's still-unreleased book of essays, The Morality of the Novel (a.k.a. Fail Better), presumably appeared in the essay collection Changing My Mind.
September 2010: Tenured Professor at NYU
In September 2010, Zadie Smith became a tenured professor in the Creative Writing faculty of New York University.
2010: Smith's 10 Rules for Writing
In 2010, The Guardian newspaper asked Zadie Smith for her "10 rules for writing fiction."
2010: Joined NYU as a Professor
In 2010, Zadie Smith joined New York University as a tenured professor of fiction.
2010: Favourite Book
In a 2010 interview, Zadie Smith said that Middlemarch by George Eliot was her favourite book.
October 2011: New Books Reviewer
Between March and October 2011, Zadie Smith served as the monthly New Books reviewer for Harper's Magazine.
2012: Publication of NW
In 2012, Zadie Smith's novel NW was published, set in the Kilburn area of north-west London. It was shortlisted for literary prizes.
2013: Granta's Best Young Authors List
In 2013, Zadie Smith was again included in Granta magazine's list of best young authors.
2015: Involvement in High Life Film
In 2015, it was announced that Zadie Smith was co-writing the screenplay for the science fiction movie High Life, though her involvement was later clarified as polishing English dialogue.
November 2016: Publication of Swing Time
In November 2016, Zadie Smith's fifth novel, Swing Time, was published. It drew inspiration from her childhood love of tap dancing.
November 2016: Broadcast of NW Television Film
On 14 November 2016, the TV adaptation of Zadie Smith's novel NW was broadcast on BBC Two, directed by Saul Dibb and starring Nikki Amuka-Bird and Phoebe Fox.
2017: Longlisted for Man Booker Prize
In 2017, Swing Time was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
2018: Brent Selected as London Borough of Culture
In 2018, Zadie Smith's borough in London, Brent, was selected as the 2020 London Borough of Culture.
October 2019: Publication of Grand Union
On 8 October 2019, Zadie Smith's first collection of short stories, Grand Union, was published.
2019: Contribution to New Daughters of Africa
In 2019, Zadie Smith contributed to Margaret Busby's anthology New Daughters of Africa, as did her mother Yvonne Bailey-Smith.
2020: Writing Historical Novel
In 2020, Zadie Smith began writing a historical novel focused on Arthur Orton and the Tichborne case.
2020: Publication of Intimations
In 2020, Zadie Smith published six essays in a collection entitled Intimations, donating the royalties to charity.
2020: Brent as London Borough of Culture
In 2020, Zadie Smith's borough in London, Brent, had been selected in 2018 as the 2020 London Borough of Culture.
2021: Debut of The Wife of Willesden
In 2021, Zadie Smith debuted her first play, The Wife of Willesden, adapting "The Wife of Bath's Tale" for a contemporary London setting.
September 2023: Publication of The Fraud
In September 2023, Zadie Smith's historical novel, The Fraud, was published.
2023: Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
In 2023, Zadie Smith was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
October 2025: Publication of Dead and Alive
In October 2025, Zadie Smith's collection of essays, Dead and Alive, was published by Hamish Hamilton.
2025: Featured in Bottega Veneta Campaign
In 2025, Zadie Smith was featured in Bottega Veneta's advertising campaign celebrating the 50th anniversary of its signature Intrecciato leather.
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