Sofia Samatar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sofia Samatar
|
|
|---|---|
_-_Imaginales_2017.jpg) |
|
| Born | Indiana, United States |
| Occupation |
|
| Alma mater | Goshen College, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Genre | Fantasy, mythology, postmodernism |
| Notable works | A Stranger in Olondria (2013), The White Mosque (2022) |
| Notable awards | British Fantasy Award, World Fantasy Award, John W. Campbell Award, Crawford Award |
| Spouse | Keith Miller |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Said Sheikh Samatar (father) |
Sofia Samatar is an American writer, teacher, and scholar from Indiana. She is known for her amazing fantasy novels and short stories. She also teaches English at James Madison University.
Early Life and Education
Sofia Samatar was born in northern Indiana, United States. Her father, Said Sheikh Samatar, was a famous Somali historian and writer. Her mother was from Switzerland and Germany, and was a Mennonite. Sofia's parents met in 1970 in Mogadishu, Somalia, where her mother was teaching English.
Sofia went to a Mennonite high school. Later, she studied at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. She earned a degree in English there. In 1997, Sofia got her master's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She studied African languages and literature. She also earned her Ph.D. in 2013, focusing on modern Arabic literature.
Writing Career
Sofia Samatar is a professor of English at James Madison University. She has written many interesting books and stories.
Her first novel, A Stranger in Olondria, was published in 2013. This book won several awards. She also wrote a sequel to it called The Winged Histories, which came out in 2016.
Sofia has also written poems. She worked with her brother to create a book of illustrated stories called Monster Portraits. This book was published in 2018.
Some of the writers who have inspired Sofia include Ernest Hemingway and Virginia Woolf. She is also inspired by Somali mythology. Sofia used to be an editor for a journal called Interfictions, where she helped choose nonfiction and poetry.
In 2022, she published her first nonfiction book, The White Mosque. This book is a memoir, which means it's a true story about her own life. It tells about her trip to Uzbekistan. She went there to learn about a group of people who followed a special religious leader.
Awards and Recognition
Sofia Samatar has won many awards for her writing. Her short story "Selkie Stories Are for Losers" was nominated for the Nebula and Hugo Awards in 2014. These are very important awards in the world of fantasy and science fiction.
In 2014, her novel A Stranger in Olondria won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel. She also received the World Fantasy Award for the same book. That year, Sofia also won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. This award is given to new writers who show great promise. She also won the Crawford Award.
Her book Monster Portraits was nominated for the Calvino Prize in 2018.
Her nonfiction book, The White Mosque, was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award in 2023. It also won the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir in 2023.
Her novella, The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, was a finalist for the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Novella.
Personal Life
Sofia Samatar is married to another American writer named Keith R. Miller. They have two children. Even though her father was a Muslim, Sofia is a Mennonite, like her mother.
See also
In Spanish: Sofia Samatar para niños
