Acclaimed sci-fi and fantasy author N. K. Jemisin, known for The Fifth Season and its sequels The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky, has joined the auspicious and esteemed company of the MacArthur Fellows Program. For the uninitiated, the MacArthur Fellows Program awards between 20 to 30 individuals annually, from any field, who show extraordinary originality, creativity, intellectual and professional inclinations, and whose dedication in their creative pursuits mark an exemplary capacity for self-direction. The fellowship is via anonymous nomination, rather than application, and is more viewed as an investment in the person’s pursuits and growth, rather than a reward for past accomplishments. Under the program’s “Genius Grant” Jemisin receives a stipend of $625,000.00 (spread over five years).
Of the highly respected author, the foundation stated “Jemisin is broadening the spectrum of participants in speculative fiction’s creative and surrounding fandom through her published works as well as her world-building workshops, frequent interviews, and active presence on social media.”
Jemisin became the first female African-American writer to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and three years in a row (2016-18) no less. Other accolades include being a finalist for the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, and James Tiptree Jr Award as well as winning the Locus Award and Sense of Gender Award, among others. Her other published works include her debut novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (the first part of her Inheritance Trilogy), Broken Earth series, et al.
Currently, Jemisin is the author of DC Comic’s twelve-issue mini-series, Far Sector, with issue #8 on sale 6 October 2020. You can read my review of the first six issues here. And for more of Jemisin’s enrollment in the Program and the MacArthur Fellows Program click here.
Hailing from the eastern-most Caribbean island of Barbados, Fabian Wood has long since been fascinated by the power of storytelling to inspire and invoke emotions – whether in film, comics, or videogames. No longer content to be just an avid comic book reader and videogamer, he’s eager to exercise his literary acumen as an aspiring writer and reviewer.
