Nnedi Okorafor Reading and Lecture: Bryant Nagel Speaker, Department of English, Northern Arizona University

Nnedi Okorafor is the global leader of Africanfuturism, a New York Times bestselling author, and an international literary superstar. She writes speculative fiction for adults, young adults, and children. Book-signing to follow event.

Okorafor's latest novel, Death of the Author—which George R.R. Martin calls “her best work yet”—explores fame, the Nigerian diaspora, disability, the writer’s life, Artificial Intelligence, and robots. Like Martin, Kirkus Reviews called it “her best yet.” Indeed, The Death of the Author, was named by Time Magazine as “The 100 Must-Read Books of 2025,” was named by Publishers Weekly as a Best Book of the Year, an NPR “Books We Love,” in addition to being on year-end lists for Goodreads, Amazon Books, and BookPage, among others.

In 2025, Okorafor also published One Way Witch and her all-ages graphic novel, The Space Cat. The final installment of her She Who Knows trilogy, The Daughter Who Remains, is scheduled for release in 2026. Among her many acclaimed works are the groundbreaking Binti trilogy, the harrowing Who Fears Death, and the beloved Nsibidi Scripts series, all of which have been optioned for the screen. Nnedi is also the author of Marvel’s Black Panther: Long Live the King, Shuri, and Wakanda Forever. One of the most lauded writers in modern science fiction and fantasy, her honors include the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, Eisner, and multiple Hugo and Lodestar Awards. Born in the United States to Nigerian/Igbo immigrant parents, Okorafor draws deeply from African cultures to create captivating worlds, unforgettable characters, and powerful, evocative stories. Her short memoir, Broken Places, Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected, explores her journey as a writer in the wake of surgically induced paralysis. She holds a PhD in Literature and two master’s degrees in journalism and literature. Today she makes her home in Phoenix.