When people think of canon in the fantasy genre, they think of J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, and Terry Pratchett. Recently, African/African-American authors have gained some traction in the fantasy space with three-time Hugo winner N.K. Jemisin and international award-winning Nnedi Okorafor. Across the publishing spectrum, African/African-American authors have challenged the status quo and expanded the genre with original stories and storytelling styles.
This panel proposes that authors across the publishing spectrum who specialize in fantasy come together to discuss breakout successful black stories in the fantasy genres, and how we’re leading the charge of writing stories to expand the perspective of the genre. The panelists will discuss their work, their influences, and choices to write fantasy.
The first half of this session will consist of each panelist sharing their stories and own experiences in the world of publishing then panelists will take questions from the audience.