Samuel Kọ́láwọ́lé is a Nigerian novelist born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. His writing explores migration, inequality, faith, and the experiences of people navigating difficult social and economic circumstances. He studied at the University of Ibadan, earned a master’s degree in creative writing from Rhodes University in South Africa, completed an MFA in Writing and Publishing at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and received a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Georgia State University. His debut novel, The Road to the Salt Sea (2024), won the 2025 Whiting Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. Kolawole’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals including AGNI, The Georgia Review, and The Hopkins Review. He teaches English and African studies at Pennsylvania State University, where he continues to explore stories rooted in African experiences and the wider realities of displacement and belonging.