Born in Connecticut, Smith studied African law and anthropology at the University of Paris and history, philosophy, and political science at the Free University of Berlin. After working as a freelance journalist for a few years, Smith joined the staff of Libération in 1986, replacing Pierre Haski as the paper's Africa Editor. In 2000 he became the Africa Editor for Le Monde, becoming deputy director there two years later. In 2005 he left the paper to return to work as a freelance journalist.

Smith is the author of numerous books and academic publications related to the anthropology and history of Africa, including books on Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ivory Coast, and Somalia. He has also written a number of biographies on notable African people, including books on General Mohamed Oufkir (1998), Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa (2000), and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (2007). He is currently a visiting professor at Duke University where he teaches courses in African Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Public Policy.

• Biography of Stephen Smith at bibliomonde.net (in French)

Stephen Smith