Michael Donkor read English at Oxford where he developed a particular interest in the works of Woolf, Lessing and Achebe. He later undertook a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. Michael then worked in independent publishing for a number of years, but in 2010, he retrained as an English teacher. His first novel, Hold, which explores Ghanaian heritage and questions surrounding identity and sacrifice, was published by 4th Estate in 2018, and was longlisted for the Dylan Thomas and shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prizes. Michael was also selected by Scottish Poet Laureate Jackie Kay as one of the most important contemporary British authors. He is a judge for this year’s BBC National Short Story Award and the Society of Author’s Betty Trask Prize. He regularly writes literary criticism for the Guardian and the Independent, and his second novel, Grow Where They Fall, is out now.
For TLC Michael reads literary fiction and short stories.
