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Nnedi Okorafor

ンネディ・ンケムディリ・オコラフォー

Nnedi Okorafor

Pen Names: Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu（used under former married name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1974-04-08 （Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.）
Nationality
Nigerian, American
Languages
English
Residence History
Chicago (grew up) → Phoenix, Arizona (current) → Cincinnati, Ohio (birthplace)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Professor
Active Years
2000-2025
Affiliations
Chicago State University (former associate professor), University at Buffalo (former associate professor), Arizona State University (professor of practice)
Influenced By
Octavia Butler, Nigerian folklore and mythology

Education

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Degree: BA
Country: United States
Michigan State University
Journalism
Degree: MA
Country: United States
University of Illinois, Chicago
English
Degree: MA, PhD
Country: United States
Earned advanced degrees in English

Awards

Hugo Award for Best Novella
2016
Work: Binti
Category: Best Novella
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: Won
Nebula Award for Best Novella
2016
Work: Binti
Category: Best Novella
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: Won
World Fantasy Award — Novel
2011
Work: Who Fears Death
Category: Best Novel
Organization: World Fantasy Convention
Result: Won
Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album — Reprint
2021
Work: LaGuardia
Category: Best Graphic Album – Reprint
Organization: Eisner Awards
Result: Won
Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
2018
Work: Akata Warrior
Category: Best Young Adult Book
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: Won
Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
2008
Work: Zahrah the Windseeker
Organization: Wole Soyinka Prize Committee
Result: Won
Kurd Laßwitz Award — Best Foreign Novel
2018
Work: The Book of Phoenix
Category: Best Foreign Novel
Organization: Kurd Laßwitz Preis committee
Result: Won
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
2018
Work: Akata Warrior
Category: Best Young Adult Book
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: Won

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Binti

2015 Science fiction (novella)

A young heroine travels into space and must reconcile cultural identity with encounters with alien technology and peoples; blends Nigerian cultural elements with high-concept sci‑fi.

identity and culturemigration and belongingcross-cultural communication
Adaptations
  • [TV series (in development)] Binti (TV adaptation)

Who Fears Death

2010 Speculative fiction / Fantasy

A dark, speculative novel set in a near‑future Africa addressing rape, genocide and social justice through magical and mystical elements.

violence and human rightsrevenge and healingmagic and social change
Adaptations
  • [TV series (development)] Who Fears Death (HBO adaptation)

Lagoon

2014 Science fiction

An ensemble novel about alien arrival in Lagos and how citizens, religions and cultures respond; mixes social commentary with speculative elements.

contact and transformationurban societycultural collision and fusion
Adaptations
  • [Film/TV (in early development)] Lagoon (adaptation)

Akata Witch

2011 Young adult / Fantasy

A YA fantasy set in Nigeria where a young protagonist enters a world of magic and discovers her powers and identity.

coming-of-agefriendshipNigerian folklore

Remote Control

2021 Science fiction (novella)

A near‑future novella set in Ghana exploring memory, agency, and the boundaries between technology and humanity.

memory and agencytechnology and ethics

Bibliography

  • Zahrah the Windseeker
  • The Shadow Speaker
  • Binti trilogy (Binti / Binti: Home / Binti: The Night Masquerade)
  • Who Fears Death
  • Lagoon
  • Remote Control
  • Noor

Adaptations

  • Short story 'Hello, Moto' → short film 'Hello, Rain'
  • Who Fears Death → HBO TV adaptation (in development)
  • Binti → TV adaptation development at Hulu

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Africanfuturism (term coined by the author)elements of magical realismspeculative, socially conscious science fiction
Recurring Motifs
stories of women and girlsNigerian folklore and mythologyfusion of technology and magic

Health

  • Scoliosis
    13歳から
    Worsened with growth; affected daily life and athletic career.
  • Temporary paralysis after spinal fusion
    19歳時の手術後
    Experienced paralysis from the waist down after spinal fusion; later regained ability to walk with therapy and a cane.

Legacy

Praised for centering African settings and perspectives in speculative fiction, coining the terms Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism. Recipient of Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy and Eisner awards among others; inducted into the Museum of Pop Culture's Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2024.

Museums

  • Museum of Pop Culture — Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Seattle, Washington, U.S. Opened in 2000

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) — donated archive to SFWA collection

Archives

  • Northern Illinois University Library — SFWA Collection

In Popular Culture

  • Short film 'Hello, Rain' based on the short story 'Hello, Moto'
  • TV adaptation project of 'Who Fears Death' (HBO)

Quotes

  • That's very much a part of my identity, and it's also very much a reason why I think I ended up writing science fiction and fantasy because I live on these borders – and these borders that allow me to see from multiple perspectives.
    Source: NPR interview (2016) (2016)

Trivia

  • She coined the terms 'Africanfuturism' and 'Africanjujuism'.
  • Was a nationally known tennis and track athlete in high school.
  • Diagnosed with scoliosis at 13 and underwent spinal fusion at 19, resulting in temporary paralysis.
  • Holds dual Nigerian and American citizenship.
  • Has one child.