A winning streak for Nnedi Okorafor

Nigerian Writer, Nnedi Okorafor has had the most eventful week, with an Eisner and Hugo award in the bag.

25th July came with it the announcement of Nnedi’s graphic novel, “LaGuardia” winning the Eisner award for Best Graphic Album (Reprint). Eisner award is taken as the Oscars of Comics and it is Nnedi’s first time being nominated and eventually winning it.

Ironically, LaGuardia was partially inspired by Will Eisner’s graphic novel “A Contract With God” whom the award is named after.

No sooner than a week later, same “LaGuardia” won the Hugo award for Best Graphic Story/Comic, a category her “Black Panther” comic was nominated for last year.

Nnedi is not a stranger to the Hugo Awards. In 2016, her “Binti” won the Best Novella category and in years after that she continued to be nominated save for 2017.

Set in an alternative world where aliens have come to Earth and integrated with society, the Africanfuturist comic features a pregnant Nigerian-American doctor who has just returned to New York with an illegal alien plant named ”Letme Live” through LaGuardia International and Interstellar Airport’s customs and security. There, she and Letme become part of a growing population of African and shape-shifting alien immigrants, battling against interrogation, discrimination and travel bans.

The comic art was done by Tana Ford, coloured by James Devlin and edited by Karen Berger for Berger Books; an offshoot of Dark Horse Comics.

Nnedi thanks the contributors immensely and further reveals that her editor, Karen was who suggested that the protest scene in the comic be made the cover. A cover that has now had more relevance especially with everything happening.

“It’s such a joy and an honor to see all this love for this book. It’s overwhelming. ❤️!” Nnedi tweeted.