The Nommo Awards | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Best speculative fiction work by Africans |
Presented by | The African Speculative Fiction Society |
First awarded | 2017 |
Website | www |
The Nommo Awards are literary awards presented by The African Speculative Fiction Society. The awards recognize works of speculative fiction by Africans, defined as "science fiction, fantasy, stories of magic and traditional belief, alternative histories, horror and strange stuff that might not fit in anywhere else." [1]
The Nommo Awards have four categories: Best Novel, Novella, Short Story, and Graphic Novel. They are named after the Nommo, ancestral spirits from Dogon cosmology who take a variety of forms, including appearing on land as fish, walking on their tails.
The African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) promotes science fiction and fantasy by Africans. Its members include writers, editors, artists and publishers. Established August 15, 2016 with 58 charter members, the ASFS and its Nommo Awards is a body for African science fiction/fantasy professionals. [2] [3]
Members nominate and vote on the Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction. [4]
“The ASFS will provide a place where writers, readers, and scholars can come together to find information, connect with each other, and act as watchdogs for their collective interests.” Chinelo Onwualu, co-founder of Omenana [5]
The African Speculative Fiction Society 58 original charter members of 2016. [6] [7]
The Nommo Awards logo and ASFS logos were designed in 2016 by Stephen Embleton. [8] The logo is an image of the Nommo in Dogon cosmology, twins who on land can take the form of fish walking on their tails. [9]
"The Nommo are mythological ancestral spirits (sometimes referred to as deities) worshipped by the Dogon people of Mali. The word Nommos is derived from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink." The Nommos are usually described as amphibious, hermaphroditic, fish-like creatures. Folk art depictions of the Nommos show creatures with humanoid upper torsos, legs/feet, and a fish-like lower torso and tail. The Nommos are also referred to as “Masters of the Water”, “the Monitors”, and "the Teachers”. Nommo can be a proper name of an individual, or can refer to the group of spirits as a whole. For purposes of this article “Nommo” refers to a specific individual and “Nommos” is used to reference the group of beings."
The Novel Award is also known as The Ilube Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African. It is named for and sponsored by Tom Ilube. [10]
Year | Author | Novel | Publisher | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Tade Thompson* | Rosewater | Orbit | [11] |
A. Igoni Barrett | Blackass | Graywolf Press | [11] | |
Shadreck Chikoti | Azotus, The Kingdom | Pan African Publishers | [11] | |
Nikhil Singh | Taty Went West | Rosarium Publishing | [11] | |
Nick Wood | Azanian Bridges | NewCon Press | [11] | |
2018 | Tochi Onyebuchi* | Beasts Made of Night | Penguin Young Readers Group | [12] |
Gavin Chait | Our Memory Like Dust | Doubleday | [12] | |
Deon Meyer | Fever | Grove/Atlantic, Inc. | [12] | |
Nnedi Okorafor | Akata Warrior | Penguin Young Readers Group | [12] | |
Deji Bryce Olokotun | After the Flare | The Unnamed Press | [12] | |
Masha du Toit | The Real | CreateSpace Publishing | [12] | |
2019 | Akwaeke Emezi* | Freshwater | Grove Press | [13] |
Tomi Adeyemi | Children of Blood and Bone | Henry Holt and Co | [13] | |
Nechama Brodie | Knucklebone | Pan Macmillan | [13] | |
Imraan Coovadia | A Spy in Time | Rare Bird Books | [13] | |
Cat Hellisen | Empty Monsters | Amazon | [13] | |
Masha du Toit | The Strange | Independently Published | [13] | |
2020 | Suyi Davies Okungbowa* | David Mogo, Godhunter | Abaddon | [14] [15] |
Nerine Dorman | Sing Down the Stars | Tafelberg | [14] | |
Masande Ntshanga | Triangulum | Penguin Random House South Africa & Two Dollar Radio | [14] | |
Tochi Onyebuchi | War Girls | Razorbill | [14] | |
Namwali Serpell | The Old Drift | Hogarth | [14] | |
Tade Thompson | The Rosewater Insurrection | Orbit | [14] | |
2021 | Akwaeke Emezi* | The Death of Vivek Oji | Riverhead | [16] [17] |
Stephen Embleton | Soul Searching | Guardbridge | [16] | |
Nikhil Singh | Club Ded | Luna | [16] | |
2022 | T.L. Huchu* | The Library of the Dead | Tor | [18] [19] |
TJ Benson | The Madhouse | Penguin South Africa | [18] | |
Namina Forna | The Gilded Ones | Delacorte/Usborne | [18] | |
Suyi Davies Okungbowa | Son of the Storm | Orbit US/Orbit UK | [18] | |
Cheryl S. Ntumy | They Made Us Blood and Fury | Self Published | [18] | |
Tade Thompson | Far from the Light of Heaven | Orbit US/Orbit UK | [18] | |
2024 [lower-alpha 1] | ||||
Wole Talabi* | Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon | DAW | [20] [21] | |
Stephen Embleton | Bones and Runes | Abibiman Publishing | [20] | |
Chikodili Emelumadu | Dazzling | Wildfire | [20] | |
Suyi Davies Okungbowa | Warrior of the Wind | Orbit | [20] | |
Ukamaka Olisakwe | Don't Answer When They Call Your Name | Griots Lounge | [20] | |
Eloghosa Osunde | Vagabonds! | Riverhead | [20] |
Year | Author(s) | Novella | Publisher | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Nnedi Okorafor* | Binti | Tor.com Publishing | [11] |
Mame Bougouma Diene | Hell Freezes Over | StoryTime | [11] | |
Dilman Dila | The Flying Man of Stone | StoryTime | [11] | |
Muthi Nhlema | Ta O'Reva | Freeeditorial.com | [11] | |
Tade Thompson & Nick Wood | The Last Pantheon | StoryTime | [11] | |
2018 | Tade Thompson* | The Murders of Molly Southbourne | Tor.com Publishing | [12] |
Sofia Samatar | Fallow | Small Beer Press | [12] | |
Nnedi Okorafor | Binti: Home | Tor.com Publishing | [12] | |
2019 | Nerine Dorman* | The Firebird | Amazon | [13] |
Caldon Mull | Neid-Fire | Amazon | [13] | |
Nnedi Okorafor | Binti: The Night Masquerade | Tor.com Publishing | [13] | |
Sofia Samatar | Hard Mary | Lightspeed | [13] | |
2020 | Wole Talabi* | Incompleteness Theories | Incomplete Solutions | [14] [15] |
Kerstin Hall | The Border Keeper | Tor.com Publishing | [14] | |
Caldon Mull | Weatherman | Self-Published | [14] | |
2021 | Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki* | Ife-Iyoku: The Tale of Imadeyunuagbon | Dominion | [16] [17] |
David A. Atta | Guardians: The Awakening | Makere | [16] | |
Dilman Dila | A Fledgling Abiba | Guardbridge | [16] | |
Tochi Onyebuchi | Riot Baby | Tordotcom | [16] | |
Tlotlo Tsamaase | The Silence of the Wilting Skin | Pink Narcissus | [16] | |
2022 | Nnedi Okorafor* | Remote Control | Tordotcom | [18] [19] |
Dilman Dila | The Future God of Love | Luna | [18] | |
Kola Heyward-Rotimi | An Exploration of Nicole Otieno’s Early Filmography (1232-1246) | Strange Horizons (9/13/21) | [18] | |
Erhu Kome | Not Seeing is a Flower | Eraserhead | [18] | |
Nuzo Onoh | The Abomination | F&SF9 (10/21) | [18] | |
2024 [lower-alpha 1] | ||||
Stephen Embleton* | Undulation | [20] [21] | ||
Eugen Bacon | Broken Paradise | Luna Press | [20] | |
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Joshua Uchenna Omenga | Land of the Awaiting Birth | [20] | ||
Moses Ose Utomi | The Lies of the Ajungo | Tordotcom | [20] |
Year | Author | Short Story | Publication | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Lesley Nneka Arimah* | "Who Will Greet You At Home" | [11] | |
Tendai Huchu* | "The Marriage Plot" | [11] | ||
Innocent Immaculate Acan | "Sundown" | [11] | ||
Blaize Kaye | "Ndakusuwa" | [11] | ||
Wole Talabi | "Wednesday's Story" | [11] | ||
2018 | Wole Talabi* | "The Regression Test" | [12] | |
Nerine Dorman | "On the Other Side of the Sea" | [12] | ||
Sibongile Fisher | "A Door Ajar" | [12] | ||
Chinelo Onwualu | "Read Before Use" | [12] | ||
Henrietta Rose-Innes | "Snake Story" | [12] | ||
2019 | Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki* | "The Witching Hour" | Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Stones | [13] |
Tiah Marie Beautement | "Momento Mori" | Omenana Magazine | [13] | |
T. L. Huchu | "Njuzu" | AfroSFV3 | [13] | |
Blaize Kaye | "Brand New Ways (to lose you over and over again)" | Omenana | [13] | |
Derek Lubangakene | "Origami Angels" | Omenana | [13] | |
Biram Mboob | "The Luminal Frontier" | AfroSFV3 | [13] | |
Cristy Zinn | "The Girl Who Stared at Mars" | AfroSFV3 | [13] | |
2020 | Chikodili Emelumadu* | "Sin Eater" | Omenana Magazine | [14] [15] |
Ada Nnadi* | "Tiny Bravery" | Omenana | [14] [15] | |
Ivana Akotowaa Ofori | "Principles of Balance" | Jalada | [14] | |
Suyi Davies Okungbowa | "The Haunting of 13 Olúwo Street" | Fireside | [14] | |
Deji Bryce Olukotun | "Between the Dark and the Dark" | Lightspeed | [14] | |
Wole Talabi | "When We Dream We Are Our God" | Apex | [14] | |
2021 | Innocent Chizaram Ilo* | "Rat and Finch Are Friends" | Strange Horizons (3/2/20) | [16] [17] |
Tlotlo Tsamaase* | "Behind Our Irises" | Africanfuturism: An Anthology | [16] [17] | |
Tiah Marie Beautement | "The Bend of Water" | Omenana (8/30/20) | [16] | |
T. L. Huchu | "Corialis" | Fiyah (Autumn '19) | [16] | |
Tobi Ogundiran | "The Goatkeeper’s Harvest" | The Dark (9/20) | [16] | |
2022 | ‘Pemi Aguda* | "Masquerade Season" | Tor.com (3/24/21) | [18] [19] |
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpek | "O2 Arena" | Galaxy's Edge (11/21) | [18] | |
Mbozie Haimbre | "Shelter" | Disruption | [18] | |
Shingai Njeri Kagunda | "And This Is How to Stay Alive" | Fantasy (11/20) | [18] | |
Tobi Ogundiran | "The Many Lives of an Abiku" | Beneath Ceaseless Skies (7/30/20) | [18] | |
Makena Onjerika | "The Brother" | Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World | [18] | |
Wole Talabi | "An Arc of Electric Skin" | Asimov's (9-10/21) | [18] | |
Tlotlo Tsamaase | "Dreamports" | Apex (12/21) | [18] | |
2024 | ‘Gabrielle Emem Harry* | "A Name is a Plea and a Prophecy" | Strange Horizons, 2023 | [20] [21] |
Moustapha Mbacké Diop | "Blackwater Children" | Haven Speculative Fiction, 2022 | [20] | |
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki | "Destiny Delayed" | Asimov's Science Fiction, 2022 | [20] | |
Victor Forna | "Kɛrozin Lamp Kurfi" | Apex Magazine, 2023 | [20] | |
Somoto Iheuze | "Like Stars Daring to Shine" | Fireside Fiction 2022 and Escape Pod 2023 | [20] | |
Solomon Uhiara | "Loom" | Dark Matter Magazine, 2022 | [20] | |
Naomi Eselojor | "My Mother's Love" | Hexagon, 2022 | [20] | |
Chinaza Eziaghighala | "Osimiri" | British Science Fiction Association’s Fission 2 Vol 1 Anthology. | [20] | |
Cheryl S. Ntumy | "The Way of Baa'gh" | Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology, Android Press, 2023 | [20] |
Year | Artist(s) & Author(s) | Graphic Novel | Publisher | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Chronic No. 3 Various writers & artists* | The Corpse Exhibition | [11] | |
Ibrahim Ganiyu, Chike Newman Nwankwo & Akinwade Ayodeji Akinola | June 12 | [11] | ||
Xavier Ighorodje & Stanley Obende | Avonome | [11] | ||
Jide Martin & Toheeb Deen Ipaye | Might of Guardian Prime | [11] | ||
2018 | Kwabena Ofei & Setor Fiadzigbey* | Lake of Tears | [12] | |
Wale Awelenje & Jide Martin | Guardian Prime Genesis | The Comic Republic | [12] | |
Michael Balogun & Adeleye Yusuf | Ireti Bidemi | The Comic Republic | [12] | |
Tobe Ezeogu & Keith Issac | Hero Kakere | The Comic Republic | [12] | |
Tobe Ezeogu & Ozo Ezeogu | Eru | The Comic Republic | [12] | |
Robert S. Malan & John Cockshaw | Quest of the Sign of the Shining Beast | [12] | ||
2019 | Nnedi Okorafor & Leonardo Romero* | Shuri | Marvel Comics | [13] |
Marguerite Abouet, Mathieu Sapin, Judith Taboy, & Marie Bédrune | Akissi: Tales of Michief | Flying Eye Books | [13] | |
Farida Bedwei & Ravi Allotey | Karmzah | Afrocomix App, Leti Arts | [13] | |
Tobe Max Ezeogu & Ozo Ezeogu | Eru | The Comic Republic | [13] | |
Cassandra Mark & Tobe Max Ezeogu | Tàtàshé | The Comic Republic | [13] | |
Loyiso Mkize, Mohale Mashigo, & Clyde Beech | Kwezi | New Africa Books | [13] | |
Luke Molver | Shaka Rising | StoryPress Africa | [13] | |
Nnedi Okorafor, André Araújo, Mario Del Pennino, Tana Ford, & Aaron Covington | Black Panther: Long Live the King | Marvel Comics | [13] | |
Roye Okupe & Chima Kalu | Malika Warrior Queen Part Two | YouNeek Studios | [13] | |
Austine Osas, Abiodun Awodele, & Yusuf Temitope | Under the Sun | Pedacomics Ltd | [13] | |
Yvonne Wanyoike, Kendi Mberia, & Salim Busuru | Rovik | Vibondu Comics, Avandu | [13] | |
2020 | Morakinyo Araoye, Steven Akinyemi, & Ogim Ekpezu* | Danfo | TAG Comics | [14] [15] |
Ssentongo Charles | Sanu | Elupe Comics | [14] | |
Beserat Debebe & Stanley Obende | Hawi | Etan Comics | [14] | |
Mika Hirwa | Kami | Mira Hirwa | [14] | |
Kiprop Kimutai & Salim Busuru | Beast from Venus | Avandu Vosi | [14] | |
Bill Masuku | Captain South Africa | Enigma Comix | [14] | |
Bill Masuku | Welcome to the Dead World | Sam Graphico Anthology | [14] | |
Ziki Nelson & Jason Lamy | Nani | Kugali Comics | [14] | |
2021 | Nana Akosua Hanson & AnimaxFYB* | MoonGirls | Drama Queens | [16] [17] |
Murewa Ayodele & Dotun Akande | New Men | Action Lab – Danger Zone | [16] | |
Mazuba Chimbeza | Titan | Black Hut | [16] | |
Qintu Collab | Meanwhile… | MaThoko’s | [16] | |
Anna Mbale & Mwiche Songolo | Alex | Black Hut | [16] | |
Mwiche Songolo | Black Sheep | Black Hut | [16] | |
2022 | Roye Okupe & Godwin Akpan* | Iyanu: Child of Wonder, Volume 2 | Dark Horse | [18] [19] |
Awele Emili | The Ijournal | AweleEmili.com | [18] | [16] |
2022 | Mamode Ogbewele and Chigozie Amadi* | Grimm's Assistant | Mode Comics, 2023 | [20] [21] |
Daniël Hugo | Die Strandloper | Dream Press & Daniël Hugo, 2022 | [20] | |
Roye Okupe and Sunkanmi Akinboye | WindMaker volume 1 | Dark Horse Comics, 2022 | [20] |
The Nommo or Nummo are primordial ancestral spirits in Dogon religion and cosmogony venerated by the Dogon people of Mali. The word Nommos is derived from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink." Nommos are usually described as amphibious, hermaphroditic, fish-like creatures. Folk art depictions of Nommos show creatures with humanoid upper torsos, legs/feet, and a fish-like lower torso and tail. Nommos are also referred to as "Masters of the Water", "the Monitors", and "the Teachers". Nommo can be a proper name of an individual or can refer to the group of spirits as a whole. For purposes of this article, "Nommo" refers to a specific individual and "Nommos" is used to reference the group of beings.
The Nommo are ancestral spirits revered by the Dogon people of Mali.
Tade Thompson FRSL is a British-born Nigerian psychiatrist and writer of Yoruba descent. He is best known for his 2016 science fiction novel Rosewater, which won a Nommo Award and an Arthur C. Clarke Award.
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian fantasy, science fiction and speculative writer and academic. His debut novel, David Mogo, Godhunter was published in July 2019.
Alix E. Harrow is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her short fiction work "A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies" has been nominated for the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, and Locus Award, and in 2019 won a Hugo Award. Her debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019), was widely acclaimed by mainstream critics, lauded by general audiences during voting at Goodreads Choice Awards and Locus Awards, and nominated for multiple first novel literary awards and speculative fiction awards. She has also published under the name Alix Heintzman.
Margret Helgadottir is Norwegian-Icelandic, a four times British Fantasy Award-nominated author and anthology editor, and winner of the Starburst's Brave New Words Award.
Chikodili Emelumadu is a British Nigerian speculative fiction writer.
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is a Nigerian speculative fiction writer, editor and publisher who is the first African-born Black author to win a Nebula Award. He's also received a World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, Otherwise Award, and two Nommo Awards along with being a multi-time finalist for a number of other honors including the Hugo Award.
Rosewater is a 2016 science fiction novel by Nigerian British writer Tade Thompson. It was followed by two sequels: The Rosewater Insurrection and The Rosewater Redemption which were published in 2019 simultaneously. The novel won the inaugural Nommo Award as well as the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award.
David Mogo, Godhunter is the debut novel of Nigerian writer Suyi Davies Okungbowa. It was released by Abaddon Books, an imprint of Rebellion Publishing in Oxford, UK on July 9, 2019 in the US and two days later in the UK and Europe.
Beast Made of Night is a 2017 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian-American novelist Tochi Onyebuchi. It is the first book in a duology set in a magical world inspired by Nigeria.
Riot Baby is a science fiction novella written by Nigerian American author Tochi Onyebuchi published in 2020.
Omenana Magazine is a speculative fiction online magazine that publishes stories by writers from Africa and the African diaspora. It is edited and published by Fred Chiagozie Nwonwu. It was founded in 2014 by Fred Chiagozie Nwonwu and Chinelo Onwualu.
Chinelo Onwualu is a Nigerian editor and a speculative fiction writer. She is the co-founder and previous editor-in-chief of Omenana Magazine. She is also co-editor at Anathema Magazine.
Ife-Iyoku, the Tale of Imadeyunuagbon is a fantasy novella by Nigerian speculative fiction writer Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki. It was first published Selene Quarterly in August 2019, and republished in Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction From Africa and the African Diaspora anthology which was published by Aurelia Leo in 2020. The novella received critical reviews.
Oluwole Talabi is a Nigerian science fiction writer, engineer, and editor, who is considered among the Third Generation of Nigerian Writers.
Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana speculative fiction writer and poet whose stories and poems have been nominated for or won numerous awards. She is currently represented by Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency.
The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction is an anthology of African speculative fiction edited by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki.
Cherae Clark, also known under the pen name C. L. Clark, is an American author and editor of speculative fiction, a personal trainer, and an English teacher. She graduated from Indiana University's creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. Their debut novel, The Unbroken, first book of the Magic of the Lost trilogy, was published by Orbit Books in 2021 and received critical acclaim, including starred reviews at Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. The Unbroken was a Finalist for the 2021 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2022 Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel from the British Fantasy Awards, the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novel - Adult, and the 2022 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her work has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies,FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn't Die, PodCastle, Tor.com, Uncanny, and The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021). Clark edited, with series editor Charles Payseur, We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction of 2020, which won the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Anthology/Collected Work and the 2022 Locus Award for Best Anthology.
Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction is a speculative fiction anthology edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Zelda Knight, and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki featuring 32 original works of fiction. It was published in 2022 by Tor Publishing.