Black writers of speculative fiction once struggled to find a place on bookshelves. As Samuel R. Delany wrote in his 1998 essay âRacism and Science Fiction,â even when Black writers did get published, sometimes their works were whitewashed, like the early book covers of Octavia E. Butlerâs works, or were otherwise sidelined. Thankfully, this is changing.
Speculative fiction is blossoming across Africa. The Nommo Award, established in 2017 by the African Speculative Fiction Society, highlights some of these exciting new works. Major writers like Nnedi Okorafor and Tade Thompson have, between them, won the fieldâs highest honors, including the Hugo, World Fantasy and Clarke awards. And a wide assortment of authors from the African diaspora have been creating ambitious, well-regarded African-inspired fantasy and science fiction, such as Booker Prize-winner Marlon Jamesâ recent âBlack Leopard, Red Wolf.â