Award-Winning Author Zadie Smith Visits SDU
Meet acclaimed British author Zadie Smith at SDU on Monday, 5 October, for a conversation about her writing and readings from selected works.
British author Zadie Smith is widely regarded as one of the most significant writers of her generation. She achieved international recognition at the age of just 24 with her debut novel White Teeth, which became a bestseller and earned her the first of many literary awards.
Since then, she has published a series of critically acclaimed novels, short stories, and essays, becoming known for her distinctive prose and her sharp, often humorous explorations of identity, class, culture, and belonging in a globalised world.
Among her best-known works are On Beauty, NW, Swing Time, and her most recent novel, The Fraud, which was published in Danish translation in 2024.
Conversation on Literature and Contemporary Society
At SDU, Zadie Smith will be welcomed by Rector Jens Ringsmose. Associate Professor Sten Pultz Moslund will introduce the author, after which Associate Professor Emily Hogg will interview her about her work. The audience will also have the opportunity to hear Zadie Smith read from her writings, and the programme will include a dance performance by KOMA Ballet.
- Zadie Smith is one of the most important literary voices of our time. Her novels combine humour, keen social insight, and profound understanding of human experience. She has a unique ability to capture both the major questions of our age and the complexities of everyday relationships with extraordinary linguistic energy, says Emily Hogg, Associate Professor at the Department of Culture and Language Studies.
Recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award 2026
Zadie Smith is visiting Denmark in connection with receiving the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award 2026. The day before her visit to SDU, she will be presented with the award at a ceremony held at Odeon in Odense.
Over the years, literary scholars from SDU have contributed to the nomination process for this prestigious award. Previous recipients include Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Haruki Murakami, and Karl Ove Knausgård.
Experience Zadie Smith at SDU
On 5 October from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, audiences can experience Zadie Smith in Auditorium U301 at SDU in Odense. The event is free of charge, but registration is required as places are limited.