Buki Papillon, winner of the 2022 Maya Angelou Book Award
Buki Papillon’s acclaimed debut novel An Ordinary Wonder revolves around an intersex Nigerian teenager whose gender at birth is unclear, leading to their incorrect designation as male. Papillon discusses the book and how it delves into African belief systems, superstitions, and folklore to fully root the tale in the African nation, as well as to humanize and add weight and depth to the character’s challenge.