| The Nommo Awards | |
| Awarded For: | Best speculative fiction work by Africans |
| Presenter: | The African Speculative Fiction Society |
| Year: | 2017 |
The Nommo Awards are literary awards presented by The African Speculative Fiction Society. The awards recognize works of speculative fiction by Africans, defined as "science fiction, fantasy, stories of magic and traditional belief, alternative histories, horror and strange stuff that might not fit in anywhere else."[1]
The Nommo Awards have four categories: Best Novel, Novella, Short Story, and Graphic Novel. They are named after the Nommo, ancestral spirits from Dogon cosmology who take a variety of forms, including appearing on land as fish, walking on their tails.
The African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) promotes science fiction and fantasy by Africans. Its members include writers, editors, artists and publishers. Established August 15, 2016 with 58 charter members, the ASFS and its Nommo Awards is a body for African science fiction/fantasy professionals.[2] [3]
Members nominate and vote on the Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction.[4]
“The ASFS will provide a place where writers, readers, and scholars can come together to find information, connect with each other, and act as watchdogs for their collective interests.” Chinelo Onwualu, co-founder of Omenana[5]
The African Speculative Fiction Society 58 original charter members of 2016.[6] [7]
The Nommo Awards logo and ASFS logos were designed in 2016 by Stephen Embleton.[8] The logo is an image of the Nommo in Dogon cosmology, twins who on land can take the form of fish walking on their tails.[9]
"The Nommo are mythological ancestral spirits (sometimes referred to as deities) worshipped by the Dogon people of Mali. The word Nommos is derived from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink." The Nommos are usually described as amphibious, hermaphroditic, fish-like creatures. Folk art depictions of the Nommos show creatures with humanoid upper torsos, legs/feet, and a fish-like lower torso and tail. The Nommos are also referred to as “Masters of the Water”, “the Monitors”, and "the Teachers”. Nommo can be a proper name of an individual, or can refer to the group of spirits as a whole. For purposes of this article “Nommo” refers to a specific individual and “Nommos” is used to reference the group of beings."
The Novel Award is also known as The Ilube Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African.
| Year | Author | Novel | Publisher | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tade Thompson | Rosewater | Orbit | ||
| Blackass | Graywolf Press | |||
| Azotus, The Kingdom | Pan African Publishers | |||
| Nikhil Singh | Taty Went West | Rosarium Publishing | ||
| Nick Wood | Azanian Bridges | NewCon Press | ||
| Tochi Onyebuchi | Beasts Made of Night | Penguin Young Readers Group | ||
| Gavin Chait | Our Memory Like Dust | Doubleday | ||
| Fever | Grove/Atlantic, Inc. | |||
| Akata Warrior | Penguin Young Readers Group | |||
| Deji Bryce Olokotun | After the Flare | The Unnamed Press | ||
| Masha du Toit | The Real | CreateSpace Publishing | ||
| Akwaeke Emezi | Freshwater | Grove Press | ||
| Children of Blood and Bone | Henry Holt and Co | |||
| Nechama Brodie | Knucklebone | Pan Macmillan | ||
| A Spy in Time | Rare Bird Books | |||
| Empty Monsters | Amazon | |||
| Masha du Toit | The Strange | Independently Published | ||
| Suyi Davies Okungbowa | David Mogo, Godhunter | Abaddon | ||
| Nerine Dorman | Sing Down the Stars | Tafelberg | ||
| Triangulum | Penguin Random House South Africa & Two Dollar Radio | |||
| War Girls | Razorbill | |||
| The Old Drift | Hogarth | |||
| The Rosewater Insurrection | Orbit | |||
| Akwaeke Emezi | The Death of Vivek Oji | Riverhead | ||
| Stephen Embleton | Soul Searching | Guardbridge | ||
| Nikhil Singh | Club Ded | Luna | ||
| T.L. Huchu | The Library of the Dead | Tor | ||
| TJ Benson | The Madhouse | Penguin South Africa | ||
| Namina Forna | The Gilded Ones | Delacorte/Usborne | ||
| Suyi Davies Okungbowa | Son of the Storm | Orbit US/Orbit UK | ||
| Cheryl S. Ntumy | They Made Us Blood and Fury | Self Published | ||
| Far from the Light of Heaven | Orbit US/Orbit UK | |||
| Stephen Embleton | Bones and Runes | Abibiman Publishing | [10] | |
| Dazzling | Wildfire | |||
| Suyi Davies Okungbowa | Warrior of the Wind | Orbit | ||
| Ukamaka Olisakwe | Don't Answer When They Call Your Name | Griots Lounge | ||
| Eloghosa Osunde | Vagabonds! | Riverhead | ||
| Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon | DAW |
| Year | Author(s) | Novella | Publisher | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nnedi Okorafor | Binti | Tor.com Publishing | ||
| Mame Bougouma Diene | Hell Freezes Over | StoryTime | ||
| The Flying Man of Stone | StoryTime | |||
| Muthi Nhlema | Ta O'Reva | Freeeditorial.com | ||
| Tade Thompson & Nick Wood | The Last Pantheon | StoryTime | ||
| Tade Thompson | The Murders of Molly Southbourne | Tor.com Publishing | ||
| Fallow | Small Beer Press | |||
| Tor.com Publishing | ||||
| Nerine Dorman* | The Firebird | Amazon | ||
| Caldon Mull | Neid-Fire | Amazon | ||
| Tor.com Publishing | ||||
| Hard Mary | Lightspeed | |||
| Wole Talabi | Incompleteness Theories | Incomplete Solutions | ||
| Kerstin Hall | The Border Keeper | Tor.com Publishing | ||
| Caldon Mull | Weatherman | Self-Published | ||
| Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki | Ife-Iyoku: The Tale of Imadeyunuagbon | Dominion | ||
| David A. Atta | Guardians: The Awakening | Makere | ||
| A Fledgling Abiba | Guardbridge | |||
| Riot Baby | Tordotcom | |||
| The Silence of the Wilting Skin | Pink Narcissus | |||
| Nnedi Okorafor | Remote Control | Tordotcom | ||
| The Future God of Love | Luna | |||
| Kola Heyward-Rotimi | An Exploration of Nicole Otieno’s Early Filmography (1232-1246) | Strange Horizons (9/13/21) | ||
| Erhu Kome | Not Seeing is a Flower | Eraserhead | ||
| Nuzo Onoh | The Abomination | F&SF9 (10/21) | ||
| Broken Paradise | Luna Press | |||
| Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Joshua Uchenna Omenga | Land of the Awaiting Birth | |||
| Stephen Embleton | Undulation | |||
| Moses Ose Utomi | The Lies of the Ajungo | Tordotcom |
| Year | Author | Short Story | Publication | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesley Nneka Arimah | "Who Will Greet You At Home" | |||
| Tendai Huchu | "The Marriage Plot" | |||
| Innocent Immaculate Acan | "Sundown" | |||
| Blaize Kaye | "Ndakusuwa" | |||
| Wole Talabi | "Wednesday's Story" | |||
| Wole Talabi | "The Regression Test" | |||
| Nerine Dorman | "On the Other Side of the Sea" | |||
| Sibongile Fisher | "A Door Ajar" | |||
| "Read Before Use" | ||||
| "Snake Story" | ||||
| Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki | "The Witching Hour" | Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Stones | ||
| Tiah Marie Beautement | "Momento Mori" | Omenana Magazine | ||
| "Njuzu" | AfroSFV3 | |||
| Blaize Kaye | "Brand New Ways (to lose you over and over again)" | Omenana | ||
| Derek Lubangakene | "Origami Angels" | Omenana | ||
| Biram Mboob | "The Luminal Frontier" | AfroSFV3 | ||
| Cristy Zinn | "The Girl Who Stared at Mars" | AfroSFV3 | ||
| Chikodili Emelumadu | "Sin Eater" | Omenana Magazine | ||
| Ada Nnadi* | "Tiny Bravery" | Omenana | ||
| Ivana Akotowaa Ofori | "Principles of Balance" | Jalada | ||
| "The Haunting of 13 Olúwo Street" | Fireside | |||
| Deji Bryce Olukotun | "Between the Dark and the Dark" | Lightspeed | ||
| "When We Dream We Are Our God" | Apex | |||
| Innocent Chizaram Ilo* | "Rat and Finch Are Friends" | Strange Horizons (3/2/20) | ||
| Tlotlo Tsamaase | "Behind Our Irises" | |||
| Tiah Marie Beautement | "The Bend of Water" | Omenana (8/30/20) | ||
| "Corialis" | Fiyah (Autumn '19) | |||
| Tobi Ogundiran | "The Goatkeeper’s Harvest" | The Dark (9/20) | ||
| ‘Pemi Aguda* | "Masquerade Season" | Tor.com (3/24/21) | ||
| Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpek | "O2 Arena" | Galaxy's Edge (11/21) | ||
| Mbozie Haimbre | "Shelter" | Disruption | ||
| Shingai Njeri Kagunda | "And This Is How to Stay Alive" | Fantasy (11/20) | ||
| Tobi Ogundiran | "The Many Lives of an Abiku" | Beneath Ceaseless Skies (7/30/20) | ||
| "The Brother" | Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World | |||
| "An Arc of Electric Skin" | Asimov's (9-10/21) | |||
| "Dreamports" | Apex (12/21) |
| Year | Artist(s) & Author(s) | Graphic Novel | Publisher | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic No. 3 Various writers & artists* | The Corpse Exhibition | |||
| Ibrahim Ganiyu, Chike Newman Nwankwo & Akinwade Ayodeji Akinola | June 12 | |||
| Xavier Ighorodje & Stanley Obende | Avonome | |||
| Jide Martin & Toheeb Deen Ipaye | Might of Guardian Prime | |||
| Kwabena Ofei & Setor Fiadzigbey* | Lake of Tears | |||
| Wale Awelenje & Jide Martin | Guardian Prime Genesis | The Comic Republic | ||
| Michael Balogun & Adeleye Yusuf | Ireti Bidemi | The Comic Republic | ||
| Tobe Ezeogu & Keith Issac | Hero Kakere | The Comic Republic | ||
| Tobe Ezeogu & Ozo Ezeogu | Eru | The Comic Republic | ||
| Robert S. Malan & John Cockshaw | Quest of the Sign of the Shining Beast | |||
| Nnedi Okorafor & Leonardo Romero* | Shuri | Marvel Comics | ||
| Marguerite Abouet, Mathieu Sapin, Judith Taboy, & Marie Bédrune | Akissi: Tales of Michief | Flying Eye Books | ||
| Farida Bedwei & Ravi Allotey | Karmzah | Afrocomix App, Leti Arts | ||
| Tobe Max Ezeogu & Ozo Ezeogu | Eru | The Comic Republic | ||
| Cassandra Mark & Tobe Max Ezeogu | Tàtàshé | The Comic Republic | ||
| Loyiso Mkize, Mohale Mashigo, & Clyde Beech | Kwezi | New Africa Books | ||
| Luke Molver | Shaka Rising | StoryPress Africa | ||
| Black Panther: Long Live the King | Marvel Comics | |||
| Roye Okupe & Chima Kalu | Malika Warrior Queen Part Two | YouNeek Studios | ||
| Austine Osas, Abiodun Awodele, & Yusuf Temitope | Under the Sun | Pedacomics Ltd | ||
| Yvonne Wanyoike, Kendi Mberia, & Salim Busuru | Rovik | Vibondu Comics, Avandu | ||
| Morakinyo Araoye, Steven Akinyemi, & Ogim Ekpezu* | Danfo | TAG Comics | ||
| Ssentongo Charles | Sanu | Elupe Comics | ||
| Beserat Debebe & Stanley Obende | Hawi | Etan Comics | ||
| Mika Hirwa | Kami | Mira Hirwa | ||
| Kiprop Kimutai & Salim Busuru | Beast from Venus | Avandu Vosi | ||
| Bill Masuku | Captain South Africa | Enigma Comix | ||
| Bill Masuku | Welcome to the Dead World | Sam Graphico Anthology | ||
| Ziki Nelson & Jason Lamy | Nani | Kugali Comics | ||
| Nana Akosua Hanson & AnimaxFYB* | MoonGirls | Drama Queens | ||
| Murewa Ayodele & Dotun Akande | New Men | Action Lab – Danger Zone | ||
| Mazuba Chimbeza | Titan | Black Hut | ||
| Qintu Collab | Meanwhile… | MaThoko’s | ||
| Anna Mbale & Mwiche Songolo | Alex | Black Hut | ||
| Mwiche Songolo | Black Sheep | Black Hut | ||
| Roye Okupe & Godwin Akpan* | Iyanu: Child of Wonder, Volume 2 | Dark Horse | ||
| Awele Emili | The Ijournal | AweleEmili.com |