Suyi Davies

Okungbowa

Award Winning Author

Writer of Science Fiction & Fantasy

Travels from: Ottawa, CAN

“Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a scholar of place and a master of worlds―his grasp of how we are shaped by the spaces we occupy makes him one of the most exciting authors writing in SFF.” ― Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian-born, Canadian-resident, award-winning author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative fiction. He has published various novels for adults, the latest of which are the science fiction novella Lost Ark Dreaming (2024 Nebula Award finalist); Warrior of the Wind and Son of the Storm—both of The Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy—and The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, a Black Panther novel. His debut novel, David Mogo, Godhunter, won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel.

Writing as Suyi Davies, he has also published works for younger audiences, such as Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line (Random House Kids, 2022) and Minecraft: The Haven Trials (Del Rey, 2021), and contributed to the instant #1 NYT bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy (Delacorte, 2020). His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies, and have been nominated for various awards.
Okungbowa is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, where he currently lives. As a speaker and instructor, he has taught writing at the college level and spoken at various venues, institutionally and publicly. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona.

Suyi Davies's Featured Titles

Afrocentric futurisms

A roundtable conversation between authors of African descent who share thematic similarities to discuss topics like incorporating traditional African philosophies in futuristic settings and themes in African speculative fiction.

Inclusive worldbuilding in science fiction & fantasy

An all stages class that teaches writers how to build inclusive imaginary worlds set with rules and boundaries that make them seem real.

How to finish your novel

A workshop that combines principles from strategic project culture and tested tips, tricks and techniques to deliver a pathway to starting and finishing your book.

Monsters and mysteries

In this workshop, aspiring writers will learn how to make a monster, and then how to make the mystery of this monster into a story.

Writing craft lessons

An all stages class that teaches all major aspects of the writing craft.

“Suyi’s panels at TFOB are usually well-attended. In 2024, his session with T. Kingfisher filled up 15 minutes early, and the grand finale panel he was on, which seats about 250, was nearly full. Though I missed his workshop this year, last year’s was very engaging, his use of visual aids helped connect with the audience. Suyi’s warm, friendly presence and thoughtful participation made him a great guest.” ― Mira Domsky, Tucson Festival of Books, 2024 & 2025

“I absolutely loved the collaborative writing we did in this class; it built up more connections among the students in this class, and that was really nice!” ― Lolwe Academy, 2022-2024

“I loved the experience! Pleasant classmates with creative ideas that I’ve learnt a lot from. Suyi is a patient and collaborative tutor, through him I’m seeing my writing (& that of others) in an illuminating new way.” ― Lolwe Academy, 2022-2024

“I loved the class. Definitely walked away with many ideas for how to develop worlds for my fiction writing. I think what I loved best is that Suyi emphasized how most of the skills required for world building in spec-fic are actually things you can use in realist fiction. I also loved the writing exercises.” ― Lolwe Academy, 2022-2024

“Suyi visited with us as a guest artist at an intensive summer living-learning community for high school writers. In his thoughtful lesson plan, he integrated a reading, discussion, and generative exercise in an hour of engaged learning. I’ll always be grateful for how he met the students with the seriousness and enthusiasm they deserved.” ― Hannah Rego, Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, 2023

“Suyi brought incredible insight to the judging panel, thanks to his deep experience in writing, especially in the sci-fi genre. He had a sharp eye for originality and story structure, and his feedback was thoughtful, generous, and encouraging. It was clear he genuinely cared about helping writers grow. Suyi was also part of a session at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum titled “Echoes of Tomorrow: What Impact Can Science Fiction Have on Imagining the Future?”, which highlighted the Sci-Fi short story competition. His contribution stood out, he captured the audience’s imagination so powerfully that one of his quotes was featured on the Forum’s website, a testament to the lasting impact of his words.” ― Alwud Alfalasi, Dubai Future Foundation

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

2025- Finalist: The 50th Nebula Award for Best Novella (for Lost Ark Dreaming) by the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA)
2025- Finalist, The Reading List, Science Fiction (for Lost Ark Dreaming) by the RUSA division of the American Library Association (ALA)
2024- Finalist, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Short Story (“Lady Koi-Koi”) and Best Short Nonfiction (“Exposition Tax”)
2021- Finalist, Ignyte Award for Best Creative Nonfiction (“The African Superhero and the Legacy of Captain Africa”)
2020- Winner: The Nommo Ilube Award for Best Novel, awarded to David Mogo, Godhunter by the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS)
2020- Finalist, Ignyte Award for Best Short Story (“Dune Song”)
2020- Nominee, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Novel (David Mogo, Godhunter)
2020- Nominee, British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Nonfiction (“‘Post’ For Whom? Examining the Socioeconomics of a Post-Apocalypse”)