Peter Bognanni

Associate Professor and Department Chair, English
Fiction writing, especially contemporary; creative writing; screenwriting and film studies; humor writing; the contemporary novel.

Old Main, 203

Peter Bognanni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of three novels, one for adults and two for young adults. His first novel, The House of Tomorrow (Putnam 2010) won the L.A. Times Book Award for First Fiction and was adapted into a feature film starring Ellen Burstyn, Nick Offerman, and Asa Butterfield. The film played in 19 cities and in film festivals all over the world. His second novel, Things I’m Seeing Without You (Dial 2017) was published in four countries and is currently in development for television. His most recent book is This Book is Not Yet Rated, published by Dial in 2019. Peter was the winner of the 2013 American Academy of Arts and Letters Rome Prize, which sent him to Rome on a writing fellowship for the year. He is also an occasional screenwriter and was awarded a Film Independent Screenwriting Fellowship in 2013. Peter has published short stories and essays in LitHub, McSweeny’s Internet Tendency, The New York Times, and numerous literary journals.

Areas of Study

  • Fiction writing (especially contemporary)
  • Creative writing
  • Screenwriting and film studies
  • Humor writing
  • The contemporary novel

Fall 2023 Courses

  • ENGL 284-01 Crafts of Writing: Screenwriting
  • ENGL 406-01 Projects in Creative Writing (Capstone)

Spring 2024 Courses

  • ENGL 150-01 Introduction to Creative Writing
  • ENGL 281-01 Crafts of Writing: Fiction

Awards and Honors

  • Winner: American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award, 2013
  • Winner: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, Los Angeles Times Book Awards, 2010
  • Winner: The Emerging Author Award, Iowa Author Awards, 2010
  • Winner: The Alex Award, American Library Association, 2010
  • Finalist: Novel & Short Story Award, Minnesota Book Awards, 2010
  • Finalist, Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Pick, 2010
  • Semi-Finalist: Virginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award, 2010
  • Selection, IndieBound Next Award, 2009
  • Nominee, Pushcart Prize for “The Pad Man Chronicles,” 2008
  • Selection, 100 Distinguished Stories chosen by Stephen King for Best American Short Stories, 2007

BA: Macalester College

MFA: University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop