Ayad Akhtar | |
|---|---|
 Akhtar at the 2012 Texas Book Festival | |
| Born | October 28, 1970 Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Brown University (BA) Columbia University (MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Playwright, novelist, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Notable work | American Dervish (2012) Disgraced (2012) Junk (2016) Homeland Elegies (2020) |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama Award in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters Steinberg Playwright Award |
| Website | ayadakhtar |
Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He has received numerous accolades including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as nominations for two Tony Awards.
Akhtar is known as a playwright covering various themes including the American-Muslim experience, racism, religion, economics, immigration, and identity. For his work on Broadway, Akhtar received Tony Award for Best Play nominations for Disgraced (2015) and Junk (2017). He also authored the plays The Who & The What and The Invisible Hand. His plays have been produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in London.
He earned acclaim for authoring two novels American Dervish (2012) and Homeland Elegies (2020). He received numerous awards including the American Book Award for the later. He co-wrote and starred in the political drama film The War Within (2005) for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. He portrayed Neel Kashkari in the HBO television film Too Big to Fail (2010).