Suyi Davies Okungbowa (born Osasuyi Okungbowa in 1989) is a Nigerian fantasy, science fiction and speculative writer and academic. He is the author of The Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy, beginning with ''Son of the Storm'' (Orbit, May 2021). His debut was the godpunk fantasy novel, ''David Mogo'', ''Godhunter'' (Abaddon, July 2019). He has also written works for younger readers under the author name Suyi Davies, including
Minecraft: The Haven Trials
'. His work is heavily influenced by the histories and cultures of West Africa and Nigeria, and discusses themes of identity, challenging difference and finding home. ''

WIRED ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...

'' referred to him as "one of the most promising new voices coterie of African SFF writers." He is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottawa ...

Early life

Okungbowa was born to Prof. and Prof. Mrs. Okungbowa, as the first son and raised in

Benin City Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano (city), Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of ...

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...

in the southern part of Nigeria. His early life orbited the University of Benin, after which he went on to obtain a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from the same university between 2006 and 2011. He later moved to

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, then went on to study at the

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Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

for an MFA in Creative Writing.

Personal life

Okungbowa currently lives and works in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

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. Prior to that, he spent time in the

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, the

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and in various cities in Nigeria. He has also worked in various fields, from engineering to professional services to marketing communications to digital learning. He is currently an

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of Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa in

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. He is married.

''David Mogo, Godhunter'' (Abaddon, 2019)

Okungbowa's debut novel, ''David Mogo, Godhunter'' was released by the Abaddon imprint of

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on July 9, 2019 in the US and two days later in the UK and Europe. The novel follows the titular demigod, who is also a god hunter, as he scours the streets of Okungbowa's native Lagos, Nigeria, in the aftermath of an event called The Falling where thousands of orishas have fallen to the city. The novel received good reception, with venues like ''WIRED'' commenting that, "a number of books have been termed 'godpunk,' but Suyi Davies Okungbowa's novel may be the subgenre's platonic deific ideal," while ''Publishers Weekly'' mentioned that "this story is captivating, and readers who enjoy non-Western fantasy, mythpunk, and tales of found family will find it delightful." However, there were critical mentions of the story structure, which was a novel in three parts, almost akin to a collection of novellas ('s Giancarlo Riccobon called it "three books for the price of one") and the treatment of some of the minor characters. But overall, the consensus was that the authorial voice was fresh and welcome, especially in a white-dominated sub-genre. "American urban fantasy, like any established genre, can get predictable," L.E.H Light of ''BlackNerdProblems'' said in a lengthy, favourable review. "''David Mogo, Godhunter'' is anything but." In October 2020, ''David Mogo, Godhunter'' was announced as the winner of the 2020

Nommo Award The Nommo Award is a literary award presented by ''The African Speculative Fiction Society''. The award is named after the Nommo. The awards recognize works of speculative fiction by Africans, defined as "science fiction, fantasy, stories of magi ...

for Best Speculative Novel by an African (the Ilube Award).

The Nameless Republic trilogy (Orbit, 2021-present)

In January 2020,

Orbit Books Orbit Books is an international publisher that specialises in science fiction and fantasy books. It is a division of Lagardère Publishing. History It was founded in 1974 as part of the Macdonald Futura publishing company. In 1992, its parent ...

(a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group, USA and Little, Brown UK) announced the acquisition of "an incredible new epic fantasy series" from Okungbowa. They referred to The Nameless Republic as "an evocative tale of myth and magic

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invites readers into a rich and vibrant world inspired by West-African empires." Okungbowa himself commented: "This series is my love letter to all of us who know the magic that makes West-Africa tick–the lore and music, the harmattan and petrichor, the jollof rice and fried plantain."

''Son of the Storm''

The first book in the trilogy, '' Son of the Storm'', was released in May 2021, to mostly positive acclaim. ''

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Books'' said of it: "Okungbowa's control of power, relationships, plot twists, and politics throughout gets high marks." ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

,'' which gave the novel a starred review, highly recommended it for "fans of epic fantasy based on non-European mythologies...readers who enjoy protagonists on troubled journeys...or anyone who likes to chew on stories with complex shenanigans."

Tor.com ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...

's Alex Brown said it was "epic fantasy that breaks the rules," praising Okungbowa's worldbuilding and attention to detail. ''Publishers Weekly'' called it a "series starter

promises more good things to come."

''Warrior of the Wind''

The second novel in the trilogy is scheduled to be published November 2023.

Other works

Okungbowa also writes for young audiences under the author name Suyi Davies, disclosing that he "decided to separate my works for younger audiences from my work for adult audiences in this way." His first full-length work for younger audiences is the middle-grade novel, ''Minecraft: The Haven Trials''. Prior to this, he published shorter works in collections like ''Black Boy Joy''. He has a YA novel about ''

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'' character Lucas Sinclair called ''Lucas on the Line'' coming out on July 26, 2022. As an academic, Okungbowa has also published various papers and essays of a scholarly nature.

Partial bibliography

Novels

*''Warrior of the Wind'' (The Nameless Republic #2), 2023 *'' Son of the Storm'' (The Nameless Republic #1), 2021 *''Minecraft: The Haven Trials,'' 2021 *'' David Mogo, Godhunter,'' 2019 (winner of the 2020

for Best Novel) *''Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line,'' 2022

Selected short work

* "Sleep Papa, Sleep," in '' Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction From Africa and the African Diaspora'' * "The Case of the Moaning Marquee," in ''Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World'' *"Five Thousand Light-Years to Home," in ''Black Boy Joy'' *"Stronger In Spirit," in ''Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda'' *"Mytek the Mighty" (comic) in ''2000AD Smash! Special'' *"The Secret Life of the Unclaimed," in ''A World of Horror'' *"The Haunting of 13 Oluwo Street," in ''Fireside Magazine'' * "Dune Song," in ''

Apex Magazine ''Apex Magazine'', also previously known as ''Apex Digest'', is an American horror and science fiction magazine. This subscription webzine, ''Apex Magazine'', contains short fiction, reviews, and interviews. It has been nominated for several awa ...

'' (Also: ''Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy,'' ed by Jonathan Strahan, 2020) * "Where Are Our Black Boys on Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel Covers?" in ''

'' *"'Post' for Whom? Examining the Socioeconomics of a Post-Apocalypse" in ''

Strange Horizons ''Strange Horizons'' is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and nonfiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables. History and profile It was launched in September 2000, and ...

References

External links

Official website

Interview with The Imaginaries PodcastProfile in the San Francisco Chronicle

Suyi Davies Okungbowa
on the

Internet Speculative Fiction Database The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) is a database of bibliographic information on genres considered speculative fiction, including science fiction and related genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and horror fiction. The ISFDB ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okungbowa, Suyi Davies 1989 births Nigerian fantasy writers Living people 21st-century Nigerian writers Nigerian writers Nommo Award winners