Nisi Shawl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nisi Shawl
Born	1955 (age 69–70) Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater	Residential College, University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Genre	Speculative fiction
Notable awards	2008 Otherwise Award

Nisi Shawl, born in 1955, is an American writer, editor, and journalist. They are well-known for their science fiction and fantasy short stories. Shawl writes and teaches about how fantastic stories can show the real-world variety of people. This includes differences in gender, race, abilities, and age.

Learning and Early Life

Shawl was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They started college at the University of Michigan in 1971 when they were 16. Even though they didn't finish their degree there, they continued to learn and grow as a writer.

Writing Workshops and Groups

In 1992, Shawl completed the Clarion West Writers Workshop. This is a special program for writers. They are also a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Shawl helps lead Clarion West and is one of the people who started the Carl Brandon Society. This group supports diversity in science fiction and fantasy.

Amazing Short Stories

Nisi Shawl's short stories have appeared in many popular magazines. These include Asimov's Science Fiction and Strange Horizons. Their first collection of stories, called Filter House, came out in 2008. This book had 11 stories that were already published and three new ones.

A reviewer named Brian Charles Clark praised Filter House. He said that Shawl's strong sense of fairness is always present in their stories. He also noted that Shawl is against colonialism, which is when one country takes control of another. He felt that Shawl is a true storyteller who lets the characters and plot show these important ideas.

Writing the Other Guidebook

Shawl co-wrote a helpful book called Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction. They wrote it with Cynthia Ward. This book is a guide for creative writing. It comes from a workshop they teach with the same name.

How the Guidebook Helps Writers

In their workshop, writers learn how to create believable characters. These characters might be very different from the writer's own background. A reviewer from Strange Horizons said that the book helps authors think carefully about creating diverse characters and worlds. They added that many of the ideas in the book are simply good writing practices. These include avoiding stereotypes and creating characters that feel real.

Everfair Novel

Shawl's first novel is called Everfair. It was released in September 2016. The story is a steampunk tale set in the Belgian Congo. The cover art for the book was created by artist Victo Ngai.

A Different History of the Congo

Everfair is an alternate history novel. This means it imagines how history might have been different. The story takes place in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In Shawl's version of history, people in the Congo learned about steam technology earlier.

The book imagines that British socialists and African American missionaries buy land in the Congo. They create a new nation called Everfair. In this new place, people can experience freedoms they didn't have before. They also benefit from steam engines, a key invention of the Industrial Revolution.

Contributions to Diverse Fiction

Nisi Shawl has done a lot to support diverse voices in speculative fiction. This includes stories by women, people from different cultures, and writers from around the world.

Honored for Their Work

In 2011, Shawl was honored at Wiscon 35. This is a well-known feminist science fiction convention. They were a special guest because of their long work in women's speculative fiction.

In 2015, Shawl was recognized as a leading teacher and mentor. They help others learn about diversity in writing. They spoke at events at Princeton University and the University of Hawai'i. At these events, they shared their ideas and led writing workshops. They also read their stories with writers from different backgrounds.

Everfair and Global Stories

Shawl's novel Everfair is part of a growing movement. This movement includes speculative fiction by writers of color from all over the world. These writers use alternate history to explore ideas about colonialism and different cultures.

Anthologies and Collections

Shawl has edited several collections of speculative fiction stories. Many of these focus on Afrofuturism, feminist, and African American speculative fiction.

Honoring Other Writers

They have edited books that honor important Black science fiction writers. One book, Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany (2015), honored Samuel R. Delany. Another, Strange Matings: Science Fiction, Feminism, African American Voices, and Octavia E. Butler (2015), honored Octavia E. Butler.

Shawl's work on these collections shows their long involvement in both feminist and African American science fiction communities. Their stories have also appeared in important collections like Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (2000). This collection led to other books, including Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction in 2022.

Personal Life and Inspirations

Nisi Shawl lives in Seattle, Washington. They also write book reviews for The Seattle Times.

Shawl has been influenced by many writers. Some of these include Colette, Monique Wittig, and Raymond Chandler. They also admire speculative fiction authors like Gwyneth Jones, Suzy McKee Charnas, Joanna Russ, Samuel R. Delany, Howard Waldrop, and Eileen Gunn.

Awards and Recognition

Nisi Shawl's stories have been nominated for many awards. These include the Theodore Sturgeon Award and the Gaylactic Spectrum Award. Their book Writing the Other received a special mention for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.

In 2008, they won the James Tiptree Jr. Award for their story collection Filter House. This book was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award. In 2009, their novella Good Boy was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award. Their 2016 novel Everfair was nominated for a Nebula Award.

See also

In Spanish: Nisi Shawl para niños