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Nalo Hopkinson

ナロ・ホプキンソン

Nalo Hopkinson

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1960-12-20 （Kingston, Jamaica）
Nationality
Canadian
Languages
English
Residence History
Kingston, Jamaica → Guyana → Trinidad → Toronto, Canada → Riverside, California, United States → Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Career

Occupations
Writer, Editor, Professor of Creative Writing
Active Years
1998-
Affiliations
Carl Brandon Society (board member), University of California, Riverside (Professor)
Memberships
Carl Brandon Society, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Influenced By
Derek Walcott, Kurt Vonnegut, William Shakespeare, Homer (Iliad, Odyssey), Christina Rossetti (poem 'Goblin Market'), Samuel R. Delany, Tobias Buckell, Charles R. Saunders
Nominations
Philip K. Dick Award nominee: Brown Girl in the Ring (1998), James Tiptree Jr. / Otherwise Award shortlist: Midnight Robber (2000), Hugo Award nominee: Midnight Robber (2001), Nebula Award nominee: The Salt Roads (2004), Nebula Award nominee: The New Moon's Arms (2007), Canada Reads finalist: Brown Girl in the Ring (2008)

Education

Seton Hill University
Writing Popular Fiction (Graduate program)
Degree: Master of Arts
Country: United States
Studied with mentor James K. Morrow.

Awards

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
1999
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞
Locus Award for Best First Novel
1999
Work: Brown Girl in the Ring
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award — Collection
2003
Work: Skin Folk
Organization: World Fantasy Convention
Result: 受賞
Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic
2003
Work: Skin Folk
Organization: Sunburst Award Society
Result: 受賞
Gaylactic Spectrum Award
2004
Work: The Salt Roads
Organization: Gaylactic Spectrum Awards
Result: 受賞
Aurora Award
2008
Work: The New Moon's Arms
Organization: Aurora Awards / Prix Aurora
Result: 受賞
Sunburst Award
2008
Work: The New Moon's Arms
Organization: Sunburst Award Society
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award for Best Novel
2004
Work: The Salt Roads
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: ノミネート
Nebula Award for Best Novel
2007
Work: The New Moon's Arms
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: ノミネート
Hugo Award for Best Novel
2001
Work: Midnight Robber
Organization: World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon)
Result: ノミネート
Inkpot Award
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: 受賞
Damon Knight Grand Master
2020
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Theodore Sturgeon Award
2022
Work: Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story
Organization: Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award
Result: 受賞
Ontario Arts Council Foundation Award for Emerging Writers
Organization: Ontario Arts Council
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Brown Girl in the Ring

1998 Science fiction / Dystopian

Set in a near-future Toronto, the novel weaves poverty, community resilience and magical elements to tell the story of women navigating survival and power.

Caribbean culturePoverty and classFemale empowermentFolklore / Magic

Midnight Robber

2000 Speculative fiction / Fantasy

Using Caribbean dialect and folklore, the novel explores exile, coming-of-age and revenge with a distinctive narrative voice.

Migration and belongingRevenge and maturationCaribbean folkloreIdentity

The Salt Roads

2003 Historical fantasy / Magical realism

A sweeping novel spanning eras and locations, it tells interlinked stories of women connected by Afro-Caribbean spirituality and a shared divine presence.

Caribbean historySlavery and resistanceReligion and rootsQueer and gender themes

The New Moon's Arms

2007 Fantasy / Magical realism

Explores family, memory and history through motifs of the sea and moon, blending Caribbean tradition with contemporary concerns.

Family and memoryCaribbean traditionIntersection of history and the personal

Skin Folk

2001 Short fiction collection / Speculative fiction

A collection of short stories drawing on Caribbean folklore and contemporary life, featuring diverse voices that blend myth and modernity.

FolkloreRace and cultureMagic and the everyday

The Sandman Universe: House of Whispers

2018 Comic book / Graphic novel

A comic series set in DC/Vertigo's Sandman Universe which Hopkinson contributed to as a writer (2018–2020).

Myth and folkloreCaribbean influences

Bibliography

  • Brown Girl in the Ring (novel, 1998)
  • Midnight Robber (novel, 2000)
  • Skin Folk (short fiction collection, 2001)
  • The Salt Roads (novel, 2003)
  • The New Moon's Arms (novel, 2007)
  • The Sandman Universe: House of Whispers (comic series, 2018–2020)
  • Report From Planet Midnight (short stories, interview and speech, 2012)
  • Falling in Love With Hominids (short fiction collection, 2015)
  • The Chaos (young adult novel, 2012)
  • Sister Mine (novel, 2013)
  • Blackheart Man (novel, 2024)

Adaptations

  • The Sandman Universe: House of Whispers (contribution to comic series)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Blends Caribbean oral tradition with English narrative voiceIncorporates folklore and myth into speculative storytellingMerges social issues (race, class, gender) with elements of realism and fantasy
Recurring Motifs
Trickster figures like AnansiMigration and belongingFemale body, motherhood, intergenerational tiesMotifs of song and poetry

Health

  • Severe anemia (caused by uterine fibroids) and vitamin D deficiency
    数年間（出版活動が6年間停止）
    Stopped publishing for several years (~6 years), faced financial hardship and experienced about two years of homelessness before being hired by UC Riverside.
  • Learning disabilities
    生涯
    Reported to have learning disabilities but has continued productive writing and teaching career.

Legacy

Nalo Hopkinson has established a distinct place in speculative fiction by integrating Caribbean oral tradition, folklore and postcolonial perspectives. She has received and been shortlisted for numerous awards and is recognized as an advocate for diversity in SF and fantasy; in 2020 she was named a Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA.

Academic Societies

  • Carl Brandon Society
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)

Archives

  • Nalo Hopkinson papers, Special Collections and University Archives, University of California, Riverside

In Popular Culture

  • Guest of honor at multiple science fiction conventions.
  • Curated the CBC audio series 'Six Impossible Things'.
  • Contributed as a writer to DC/Vertigo's Sandman Universe comic (House of Whispers).

Quotes

  • I'll take my chances with the 21st century.
    Source: The Globe and Mail (interview) (2015)
  • It is an honor to be recognized for a lifetime of achievement.
    Source: SFWA statement (on being named Damon Knight Grand Master) (2020)

Trivia

  • Her father was a Guyanese poet/playwright and her mother worked as a library technician.
  • Exposed to writers like Derek Walcott in childhood and read Kurt Vonnegut by around age six.
  • Hobbies include sewing, cooking, gardening and fabric design.