Nnedi Okorafor’s new novel Death of the Author is about salvation through the act of creation. A work of what she calls Africanfuturism — a blend of science fiction and fantasy influenced by her Nigerian heritage — the book is half dystopian sci-fi and half literary fiction.

The story toggles between Ankara the robot and paralyzed Nigerian American writer Zelu. Each character learns that stories are key to avoiding cataclysmic disaster.

The author discusses what happens when Zelu releases a novel about a future in which androids and AI wage war on what’s left of human civilization. The book launches the character into literary stardom and changes Zelu’s life — but what does she lose? What comes undone?

Okorafor, who lives in Arizona, is the recipient of many awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, and Lodestar Awards and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. She has also written comic books for Marvel, including Black Panther: Long Live the King, Wakanda Forever, and the Shuri series.

This presentation will be livestreamed on YouTube and will be available to view for 14 days after the event.