Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of Nigerian descent known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work, titled "Weapons of Mass Creation," The New York Times called Nnedi's imagination "stunning." Her YA novels include Zahrah the Windseeker (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature), The Shadow Speaker (winner of the CBS Parallax Award), and Long Juju Man (winner of the Macmillan Prize for Africa). Her first adult novel, Who Fears Death (DAW Books), will be released June 5, 2010. Her YA novel Akata Witch (Penguin Books) and chapter book Iridessa and the Fire-Bellied Dragon Frog (Disney Press) are scheduled for release in 2011. "Stormbringer" is a sequel to The Shadow Speaker, which Nnedi is currently working on. Nnedi is a professor of creative writing at Chicago State University. Visit her at nnedi.com.