Ali Barthwell facts for kids

Ali Barthwell is a talented American writer. She is known for her work on the TV show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. She also writes reviews about television shows for Vulture. Ali has won two Emmy Awards for her amazing writing.

Ali Barthwell's Journey as a Writer

Ali Barthwell grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Both of her parents are doctors. She went to Wellesley College and graduated in 2010. While there, she was a leader of an improv group called Dead Serious.

After college, Ali won a special scholarship. This allowed her to train in improv and sketch comedy. She studied at a famous comedy school called Second City. She was inspired to try out after seeing a performer named Amber Ruffin.

Writing for TV Shows

Since 2016, Ali has written TV show reviews for Vulture. She has written about many popular shows. These include Empire and How to Get Away with Murder. She also reviewed shows from The Bachelor series.

In 2020, Ali joined the writing team for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. This is a popular comedy news show. Her writing on the show has earned her big awards. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series two years in a row. She won in 2021 and again in 2022. She also won a Writers Guild of America Award in 2023.

Creating WakandaCon

In 2018, Ali helped organize a special event called WakandaCon. She did this with her two brothers and two friends. The idea came from the movie Black Panther. The event took place in Chicago.

WakandaCon was a big success. About 2,500 people attended. Ali said the event was a place for Black people to imagine a bright future. It was inspired by the idea of afrofuturism.