Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Education:Ph.D. University of Illinois, Chicago, expected graduation Spring 2007
Dissertation: The Shadow Speaker (novel)
M.A. University of Illinois, Chicago, English Literature 2002
Master's Thesis: The Legend of Arro-yo (novel), MA English, 2002
M.A. Michigan State University, Journalism 1999
Master's Thesis: Virtual Women: Female Characters in Video Games
B.A. University of Illinois, C-U, Rhetoric, 1996
Selected Publications
Books:
Zahrah the Windseeker, A. September 2005, Houghton Mifflin
B. 2007, Farafina Press (Lagos, Nigeria)
The Shadow Speaker A. October 2007, Hyperion Books Long Juju Man
A. 2009,
Macmillan UK.
Literary Agent: Donald Maass of the
Donald Maass Literary Agency
Anthologies and Magazines:
Short Fiction:
"Spider the Artist," Seeds of Change
(Prime Books) 2008
"How Inyang Got Her Wings," Gallery Seven Books Anthology (Gallery Seven Books) 2008
"The Chaos Magician's Mega Chemistry Set," Space and Time Magazine (Space and Time Publishing) 2007
"Biafra," Margin Anthology of Magical Realism (Margin) 2005
"The Winds of Harmattan," Black Arts Quarterly, (Stanford University) 2005
"The Magical Negro," Dark Matter II: Reading the Bones, (Warner Aspect) 2004
"When Scarabs Multiply," So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy, (Arsenal Pulp Press) 2004
"Asuquo," Mojo Conjure Stories, (Warner Aspect) 2003
"Windseekers," The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Anthology,
(Galaxy Press) 2002
"The Palm Tree Bandit,"
Strange Horizons www.strangehorizons.com 2001
Nonfiction:
"The Default," The Wiscon Chronicles, (Aquaduct
Press) 2008
"bulter8star@qwest.net," Strange Matings:
Remembering Octavia Butler (Wesleyan University Press) 2008
"Wizard of the Crow: Ngugi wa Thiong'o," interview, Farafina Magazine, 2006
"Lioness of Sudan: Kola Boof," magazine profile, Farafina Magazine, 2006
"Stephen King's Super Duper Magical Negroes," critical essay, Strange Horizons, 2004
"Running Girl," memoir, Under Her Skin: An Anthology on Race and Childhood (Seal Press), 2004
"Her Pen Could Fly: A Tribute to Virginia Hamilton," essay, Dark Matter II: Reading the Bones, (Warner Aspect), 2004
Plays:
Full Moon (Produced by the Buxville Theater Company at the Chopin Theater in Chicago, April 2005
Employment Highlights
Visiting Professor of Creative Writing
Chicago State University
2008- present
Teaching Assistant English Department University of Illinois, Chicago 2003-2007
Adjunct Professor English Department Governor's State University Summer 2002- present
Graduate Assistant Chancellor's Office University of Illinois, Chicago 2000- 2001
Awards and Honors:
The Golden Duck Award, finalist (the
Shadow Speaker) 2008
The
Macmillan Prize for Africa, winner (Long Juju Man)
The Tiptree Award, finalist (The Shadow
Speaker)
The Andre Norton Award, finalist (The
Shadow Speaker)
The NAACP Image Award, nominee (The
Shadow Speaker)
The Essence Magazine Literary Award,
finalist (The Shadow Speaker)
Locus Award, nominee (The Shadow
Speaker)
The Golden Duck Award, finalist (Zahrah the Windseeker) 2006
The Equiano Prize for Short Fiction, shortlisted ("How Inyang Got Her Wings") 2006
The Parallax Award, shortlisted (Zahrah the Windseeker ) 2006
The Kindred Award, shortlisted (Zahrah the Windseeker) 2006
The Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, shortlisted (The Girl with the Magic Hands) 2006
Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program 2003-present
The Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism Short Story Contest, winner ("Biafra") 2005
The Strange Horizons Readers Choice Award for Nonfiction, winner
("Stephen King's Super Duper Magical Negroes" ) 2005
The Theodore Sturgeon Award, finalist ("The Magical Negro") 2005
The Goodnow Award for Creative Writing from the Chicago Bar Association, winner 2003
The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, finalist ("Windseekers") 2002
The Hurston/Wright Award, third place winner ("Amphibious ") 2001
Honorably mentioned in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror ("The Palm Tree Bandit") 2001
Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication Research Paper Competition
Virtual Women (Master's Thesis) 1999
Winner of the Robert H. Longstaff Scholarship 1998
Other Teaching Experience:
Mentor for The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) Mentorship Program 2006
Professional Associations and Memberships:
The Modern Language Association 2006-present
The Carl Brandon Society 2002- present
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators 2005-present
Teaching/Research Interests:
Intro to Advanced Creative Writing (short fiction, novel-length and nonfiction), African Literature, Speculative Literature (magical realism, fabulist, fantasy, science fiction - adult and young adult), and Post-Colonial Literature.
Other Employment:
Freelance Writer Black Issues Book Review New York, NY 2003-present
Technology Columnist The Star Newspapers Tinley Park, IL 1998- present
Freelance Writer Africana, Boston, MA 2000- 2003
Editor Afrique Newsmagazine, Chicago, IL 1999- 2000
Intern Reporter The Star Newspapers Tinley Park, IL Summer 1998
References:
Kelly Normal Ellis
Assistant Director
MFA in Creative Writing Program
Douglas 210
9501 S. King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628
Professor Cris Mazza
Department of English
2027 University Hall
601 S. Morgan St. (M/C 162)
Chicago, Il 60607-7120
(312)-413-2795
Professor Gary Wolfe
Roosevelt University
Evelyn T. Stone University College
Center for Professional Advancement
Roosevelt University
18 S. Michigan
Chicago, IL
(312) 933-3333
Professor Jean Thompson
English Department
Reed College
3203 S. E. Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202-8199
(503)-517-7676
Professor Lucinda Davenport
Michigan State University
387 Communication Arts and Science Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212
(517)-355-6574
Professor David Schaafsma
Department of English
2027 University Hall
601 S. Morgan St. (M/C 162)
Chicago, Il 60607-7120
(312)-413-2222
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