History of Zadie Smith in Timeline

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.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

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.

1969: Mother's Emigration to England

In 1969, Zadie Smith's mother emigrated from Jamaica to England.

October 1975: Zadie Smith's Birth

In October 1975, Zadie Smith, originally named Sadie Smith, was born.

Others born on this day/year

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.

September 2005: Publication of On Beauty

In September 2005, Zadie Smith's third novel, On Beauty, was published. It is set largely in and around Greater Boston.

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.

2006: Awards for On Beauty

In 2006, Zadie Smith won the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for her novel On Beauty.

2007: Living in Rome

In 2007, Zadie Smith and her husband Nick Laird lived in Rome, and later lived in New York City and the Kilburn area of London.

December 2008: Guest-Editing BBC Radio 4

In December 2008, Zadie Smith guest-edited the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

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.

September 2013: Desert Island Discs Appearance

In September 2013, Zadie Smith appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, and her book choice was Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu.

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.