Send Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki to Worldcon

This year Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki became the first African writer to win the Nebula Award for Best Novelette for his story “O2 Arena ,” with that story also making him the first African writer to be a finalist for the Hugo Award in the same category. In addition, he became the first person from Africa to be a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form, for his work on the groundbreaking anthology Year's Best African Speculative Fiction.

 

This fundraiser is to allow Ekpeki to travel from Nigeria to attend Chicon 8, the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Chicago. In addition to allowing Ekpeki to attend the Worldcon where he is a finalist for two Hugo Awards, the fundraiser will also enable him to work on building in-person connections at Worldcon between genre fans and professionals from Africa and around the world.

 

The science fiction and fantasy genre has a long tradition of using donated fan funds to bring authors and fans to Worldcons, such as with the TransAtlantic Fan Fund and the Down Under Fan Fund. However, these fan funds focus on bringing fans to the U.S.A. for Worldcon from either Europe or Oceania. To date no similar fan fund has been set up with a focus on bringing SF/F authors and fans from Africa to Worldcon.

 

In order for Worldcon to truly become more of a global science fiction convention, fans from around the world must be able to attend. Help Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki attend this year’s Worldcon!

 

Proposed WorldCon Chicon 3 Trip budget

Total: $7000

 

About Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

 

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is a multiple award winning writer, editor, publisher, slush reader, and con runner in Nigeria. With a background in law, Oghenechovwe is one of the most important young voices in African descended futurisms and African speculative fiction, and the most awarded African born, Black, speculative fiction writer.

 

His work often explores themes of colonialism, neo and post colonialism, race, gender and sexuality on the African continent and beyond. His unique writing style often blends genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror and a number of subgenres in a fresh and provocative, socially relevant, globally resonant and enjoyable way.

 

He is the first African writer to win the Nebula Award for Best Novelette, the first African writer to be a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, the first African born Black writer to be a finalist in the Hugo and Nebula awards, and the first person from Africa to be a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form. He is also the first person of colour to be a finalist in the Hugo Award in the fiction and editing categories in the same year. He has won the Nommo Award twice, along with the Otherwise and British Fantasy Awards. He's also been a multiple-time finalist in the Locus and British Science Fiction Awards, the Sturgeon and This Is Horror Awards.

 

As an editor, he co-edited the British Fantasy Award winning Dominion anthology along with Africa Risen. He also edited and published the Locus and Hugo nominated Year's Best African Speculative Fiction anthology, the Bridging Worlds anthology, and guest edited the collections window of Interstellar Flight Press.

 

His works of fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Tordotcom, NBC, Galaxy's Edge, Strange Horizons, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, Apex and Asimov's. He founded the Emeka Walter Dinjos Memorial Award For Disability In Speculative Fiction, Jembefola Press and co-organized the Discon 3 African Stream. You can find him on Twitter at penprince.