We have some big news. Nigerian-American Africanfuturist writer Nnedi Okorafor signs a seven-figure deal with William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins for her forthcoming novel titled The Africanfuturist. The book will be published in 2025.
Nnedi shared the news on social media (Instagram and Facebook) with the caption:
The Africanfuturist is Okorafor’s 21st book and took thirty years to write. It tells the story of a disabled Nigerian American woman who pens a science fiction novel, ultimately achieving literary success but at great personal cost.
In a post made on Facebook (in the comment section of the initial post), Okorafor highlights the significance of this milestone. It was written “because of the loss” of her sister, so there is a personal, deeply felt layer to this particular win. She also notes that it felt great to have big publishers scramble over her work. When you’ve been in the publishing game this long, it must feel great to be feted and celebrated. She also wants fans to understand how big of a win this is: “The Africanfuturist is ONE novel that sold for this amount; it’s not a multi-book deal. Surreal.”
Add to that the fact that the current deal is for the North American rights only, as reported by Publisher’s Weekly. This means that she stands to make more money as she sells more regional rights, including translations. We don’t know the details of the deal, but we imagine that the film rights are yet to be sold. All in all, Okorafor stands to make considerably more money than this initial deal. Well deserved for someone who is known as one of the most hardworking writer.
The announcement sparked excitement among fans and fellow writers. Bibi Bakare, Chigozie Obioma, Abubakar Ibrahim, and may others congratulated her on social media.
Nnedi Okorafor is a bestselling author, known for writing captivating science fiction and fantasy. She has won many awards, including prestigious Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. In the negotiations for this deal, she was represented by literary agents Angeline Rodriguez and Eric Simonoff at William Morris Endeavor while Julia Elliott at William Morrow, spearheaded the acquisition.
We are beyond delighted for Okorafor. Her writing journey has been a long and storied one, dotted with many wins but also difficult moments like when she lost her sister. But through it all, she has continued to be a stalwart for the culture, writing books that inspire readers and leading important conversations in the community. Huge congrats to her. Trust us to keep you updated on every bit of news having to do with this book.