Dwayne Alexander Smith
Dwayne Alexander Smith is an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his debut thriller Forty Acres, which won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Debut Author in 2015 and a Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award.[1] His work spans novels, screenplays, and original audio dramas.
Career
Smith's debut novel Forty Acres was published by Simon & Schuster/Atria Books in 2014.[2] The novel received positive critical attention, including a review from Kirkus Reviews describing it as "provocative and compelling."[3]
In 2020, Netflix announced it was developing a feature film adaptation of Forty Acres, with Jay-Z among the producers and Cheo Hodari Coker attached as screenwriter.[4][5][6]
Smith has also written for screen, including the screenplay for the 2014 action film Free Fall[7] and the television movie See Dick Run.[8] He co-created the hidden-camera series True Colors for Crackle in 2009.[9][10]
In 2023, Smith wrote the Audible Original audio drama Kingsland.[11]
Writing style and themes
Smith's fiction often blends thriller pacing with social commentary, exploring moral ambiguity and race relations in America. He has described his approach as crafting high-concept premises grounded in character-driven storytelling.[12]
Awards and recognition
In 2015, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Debut Author for Forty Acres.[13][14] The same year, he received the First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.[15]
Selected works
Novels
- Forty Acres (2014) — Atria/Simon & Schuster[16]
Screenplays
Audio dramas
- Kingsland (2023) — Audible Original[19]
External links
References
- ↑ "2015 BCALA Literary Awards Press Release" (PDF). Black Caucus of the American Library Association. February 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Forty Acres". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Forty Acres". Kirkus Reviews. May 21, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Jay-Z to Produce Netflix Thriller 'Forty Acres'". Collider. November 25, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Netflix developing Jay-Z-produced 'Forty Acres' film". TheGrio. November 25, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Jay-Z to produce Netflix thriller 'Forty Acres'". Revolt. November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Free Fall (2014) Cast & Crew". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "See Dick Run". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "True Colors Catches Racism in the Act". Tubefilter. April 1, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "New Original Web Series for Crackle.com". World Screen. April 2, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Audible Drama 'Kingsland' Listen Now". Blex Media. 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Author Interview: Dwayne Alexander Smith Talks About Forty Acres". Brown Girl Reading. December 22, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Biggest Winners from NAACP Image Awards 2015". New Pittsburgh Courier. February 7, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "NAACP Image Awards 2015 Winners List". Philadelphia Sunday Sun. February 8, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "2015 BCALA Literary Awards Press Release" (PDF). Black Caucus of the American Library Association. February 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Forty Acres". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Free Fall (2014) Cast & Crew". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "See Dick Run". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Audible Drama 'Kingsland' Listen Now". Blex Media. 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
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