Nnedi Okorafor was born in the United States to two Igbo (Nigerian) immigrant parents. She holds a PhD in English and was a professor of creative writing at Chicago State University. She has been the winner of many awards for her short stories and young adult books, and won a World Fantasy Award for Who Fears Death, and, most recently, a Lodestar award for Akata Woman. Nnedi's books are inspired by her Nigerian heritage and her many trips to Africa.