Member-only story
Who is Nalo Hopkinson?
This week SFWA announced the newest Grand Master. This is a lifetime achievement award given to a speculative fiction writer for contributions to the field.
Grand Masters are generally considered the best of the best, but this is not always a great understanding of the award and how Grand Masters are chosen.
And, of course, Nalo Hopkinson is Afro-Caribbean (Jamaican to be precise). So far I’ve only had to deal with one person in my presence calling her elevation “woke.”
So, who is Nalo Hopkinson — and why does she absolutely deserve this award?
Brown Girl in the Ring
Brown Girl in the Ring is a traditional children’s song from the Caribbean.
It’s also Hopkinson’s brilliant first novel, based on Afro-Caribbean folklore but set in her beloved Toronto, where she moved at the age of 16. The book is known for its excellent portrayal of the city.
Since then, Hopkinson has written five other novels and three collections; this is a remarkably small output for a Grand Master and is being used as ammunition by the racists who would deny her her place.