A Writer Recalls...

Omar Khayyam, philosopher and poet was born on May 18; Pope John Paul II was also born on May 18. On May 18, 1969, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford and John W. Young blasted off aboard Apollo 10 on a mission to orbit the moon. It was also on May 18, 1993 that Nnedi Okorafor made the life-changing decision to be a writer. She reminisces and we think all budding writers should read an old essay 'Legs' on her blog.

More on Nnedi Okorafor:

Nnedi's first novel, Zahrah the Windseeker takes place in a highly technological world based on Nigerian myths and culture. Zahrah the Windseeker was the winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature; shortlisted for the Parallax Award and Kindred Award, a finalist for the Golden Duck and Garden State Teen Choice awards.

She grew up with a fantasy of becoming an entomologist and even after becoming a writer maintained the love of insects and nature. Though raised in America, Nigeria is still her muse as revealed in most of her works. She has published three works, and short stories in various magazines, online and in print. She is working on another novel...

See here and here for more on her works.

Also expect a review of Nnedi's Zahrah the Windseeker on TBB soon!