“Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a scholar of place and a master of worlds―his grasp of how we are shaped by the spaces we occupy makes him one of the most exciting authors writing in SFF.” ― Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian-born, Canadian-resident, award-winning author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative fiction. He has published various novels for adults, the latest of which are the science fiction novella Lost Ark Dreaming (2024 Nebula Award finalist); Warrior of the Wind and Son of the Storm—both of The Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy—and The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, a Black Panther novel. His debut novel, David Mogo, Godhunter, won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel.

Writing as Suyi Davies, he has also published works for younger audiences, such as Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line (Random House Kids, 2022) and Minecraft: The Haven Trials (Del Rey, 2021), and contributed to the instant #1 NYT bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy (Delacorte, 2020). His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies, and have been nominated for various awards.
Okungbowa is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, where he currently lives. As a speaker and instructor, he has taught writing at the college level and spoken at various venues, institutionally and publicly. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona.

Suyi Davies's Featured Titles

Marvel: Black Panther: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda: A Novel

Random House Worlds |
Science Fiction

Lost to time, space, and legend, Wakanda’s rightful king must answer the call of rebellion in this thrilling adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s acclaimed Black Panther run.

On Earth, Wakanda is a beacon of prosperity and a bastion of freedom. But across the expanse of space, thousands of lightyears away, lies another Wakanda. One that has grown to hold five galaxies in its iron grip. One that steals the memories of those it enslaves. One that has abandoned the values of its forebearers and seeks only the glory and power of empire.

Lost amongst unfamiliar stars, a man finds himself as the property of Emperor N’Jadaka. He knows not how he got there, who he is, or even his name. The only thing he does know, in his bones, is that he must fight the oppression that surrounds him. That drive for liberation leads him to the Maroons, a band of rebels determined to shatter the empire and restore the memories of the Nameless. When the man quickly proves his worth with an unparalleled skill for battle, the Maroons bestow on him a title of hope, promise, and responsibility: T’Challa.

As T’Challa’s reputation among the rebels and ordinary citizens spreads, whispers of hope begin to swirl. Could this be the true T’Challa of old, the Avenger? The One Who Put the Knife Where It Belonged? When all eyes turn to him, T’Challa must decide if he will embrace a future of responsibility as their savior or pursue the mystery of his true past.

Lost Ark Dreaming

Tordotcom |
Science Fiction

The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Off the coast of West Africa, decades after the dangerous rise of the Atlantic Ocean, the region’s survivors live inside five partially submerged, kilometers-high towers originally created as a playground for the wealthy. Now the towers’ most affluent rule from their lofty perch at the top while the rest are crammed into the dark, fetid floors below sea level.

There are also those who were left for dead in the Atlantic, only to be reawakened by an ancient power, and who seek vengeance on those who offered them up to the waves.

Three lives within the towers are pulled to the fore of this conflict: Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning a tremendous loss; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. They will need to work together if there is to be any hope of a future that is worth living―for everyone.

Warrior of the Wind (The Nameless Republic, 2)

Orbit |
Epic Fantasy

From city streets where secrets are bartered for gold to forests teeming with fabled beasts, Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s sweeping epic of forgotten magic and violent conquests continues in this richly drawn fantasy inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa. 

There is no peace in the season of the Red Emperor.

Traumatized by their escape from Bassa, Lilong and Danso have found safety in a vagabond colony on the edge of the emperor’s control. But time is running out on their refuge. A new bounty makes every person a threat, and whispers of magic have roused those eager for their own power.

Lilong is determined to return the Diwi—the ibor heirloom—to her people. It’s the only way to keep it safe from Esheme’s insatiable desire. The journey home will be long, filled with twists and treachery, unexpected allies and fabled enemies.

But surviving the journey is the least of their problems.

Something ancient and uncontrollable awakens. Trouble heads for Bassa, and the continent of Oon will need more than ibor to fix what’s coming.

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Afrocentric futurisms

A roundtable conversation between authors of African descent who share thematic similarities to discuss topics like incorporating traditional African philosophies in futuristic settings and themes in African speculative fiction.

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Inclusive worldbuilding in science fiction & fantasy

An all stages class that teaches writers how to build inclusive imaginary worlds set with rules and boundaries that make them seem real.

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How to finish your novel

A workshop that combines principles from strategic project culture and tested tips, tricks and techniques to deliver a pathway to starting and finishing your book.

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Monsters and mysteries

In this workshop, aspiring writers will learn how to make a monster, and then how to make the mystery of this monster into a story.

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Writing craft lessons

An all stages class that teaches all major aspects of the writing craft.

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

2025- Finalist: The 50th Nebula Award for Best Novella (for Lost Ark Dreaming) by the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA)
2025- Finalist, The Reading List, Science Fiction (for Lost Ark Dreaming) by the RUSA division of the American Library Association (ALA)
2024- Finalist, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Short Story (“Lady Koi-Koi”) and Best Short Nonfiction (“Exposition Tax”)
2021- Finalist, Ignyte Award for Best Creative Nonfiction (“The African Superhero and the Legacy of Captain Africa”)
2020- Winner: The Nommo Ilube Award for Best Novel, awarded to David Mogo, Godhunter by the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS)
2020- Finalist, Ignyte Award for Best Short Story (“Dune Song”)
2020- Nominee, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Novel (David Mogo, Godhunter)
2020- Nominee, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Nonfiction (“‘Post’ For Whom? Examining the Socioeconomics of a Post-Apocalypse”)

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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