Rumaan Alam Explained

Rumaan Alam (born 1977)^[1] is an American writer.^[2]

Early life and education

His parents emigrated from Bangladesh to the United States in the early 1970s. Alam, one of four siblings, was born in 1977 and grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C. His father being an architect and his mother being a paediatrician, he had an upper-middle class lifestyle while growing up in a mostly white area.^[3] He studied writing at Oberlin College.

He and his partner adopted two boys.

Career

He is the author of four novels: Leave the World Behind, That Kind of Mother, Rich and Pretty, and Entitlement. He also hosts two podcasts for Slate.

Leave the World Behind was acclaimed by book critics^[4] and nominated for the 2020 National Book Award.^[5] It was later adapted as a 2023 film for Netflix with the same name.^{[6] [7] [8]}

Works

Books

• Book: Rich and Pretty . 2016-06-07 . Ecco . 978-0-06-242993-3 . New York, NY . 921864794.
• Book: That Kind of Mother . 2018-05-08 . Ecco . 978-0-06-266760-1 . New York.
• Leave the World Behind (2020, Ecco Press) ^[9]
• Getaway (2022)
• Book: Entitlement . 2024-09-17 . Penguin Group . 978-0-593-71846-9. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}

Notes and References

1. Dave Davies interviewing Rumaan Alam . 7 October 2020 . Novelist Rumaan Alam . May 30, 2023 . 17:27, 23:30, and 31:40 . Fresh Air.
2. News: Brockes . Emma . 2024-09-07 . Novelist Rumaan Alam: ‘A lot of people have secret money – it can make you crazy with envy’ . 2024-11-22 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
3. Web site: Cain . Sian . 6 November 2020 . Rumaan Alam: ‘What we are experiencing now is part of a bigger moment’ . The Guardian.
4. Web site: Leave the World Behind Book Marks. 2021-01-02. Literary Hub. en-US.
5. Web site: Rumaan Alam . 2024-11-22 . National Book Foundation . en-US.
6. News: Onion . Rebecca . 2023-12-14 . Leave the World Behind Is Leaving Viewers Baffled. The Book Has Clues. . 2024-10-13 . Slate . en-US . 1091-2339.
7. Web site: Brew . Caroline . 2023-12-09 . ‘Leave the World Behind’ Ending Explained: Author Rumaan Alam on the Significance of ‘Friends’ and the Accuracy of That Final Theory . 2024-10-13 . Variety . en-US.
8. Web site: Holmes . Linda . 2023-12-07 . An apocalyptic vacation in 'Leave The World Behind' : Pop Culture Happy Hour . 2024-10-13 . NPR.
9. Web site: Wilkinson . Alissa . 2023-12-07 . ‘Leave the World Behind’ Review: It’s the End of the World, I Guess . 2024-10-13 . The New York Times.
10. News: Self . John . 2024-10-08 . Entitlement by Rumaan Alam review – meandering study of money’s corrupting influence . 2024-10-13 . The Observer . en-GB . 0029-7712.
11. Web site: O’Neill . Joseph . 2024-09-17 . Book Review: ‘Entitlement,’ by Rumaan Alam . 2024-10-13 . The New York Times.
12. Web site: Corrigan . Maureen . 2024-09-19 . 'Leave the World Behind' was a tough act to follow . 2024-10-13 . NPR.
13. News: Miller . Laura . 2024-09-16 . Other People’s Money Can Drive You Mad . 2024-10-13 . The New Yorker . en-US . 0028-792X.