Nnedi Okorafor’s latest fiction titled Noor is the January selection by acclaimed author Roxane Gay’s Literati-Audacious Book Club.

Gay will be in conversation with Nnedi Okorafor on January 25, 2022 to discuss Noor. To participate, simply sign up with the book club here or purchase a copy of the book here and a registration link will be sent to you.

Gay founded her book club in early 2021 with the purpose of “highlighting books from writers with vital stories to tell.” Subsequently, she merged with the book startup Literati. Previous selections for the book club have included Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, Anthony Veasna So’s Afterparties, and Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia.

Okorafor’s Noor follows the fascinating journey of a young disabled Nigerian girl whose life is bound to change after a chance encounter with a Fulani herdsman at the market. The book has been described as “haunting and absolutely brilliant”, earning starred reviews on Kirkus, Booklist, and Library Journal.

On her choice of Noor for January 2022, Roxane Gay said;

“I love a strong female lead, especially when that lead is proud of herself despite what others may perceive as flaws. Body image is something that I’ve struggled with, written about, and spoken out about, and it is deeply explored in this story in intriguing new ways.

In this Africanfuturistic sci-fi fantasy, we’ll meet Anwuli Okwudili, who prefers to be called “AO.” She thinks of her initials as standing for “Artificial Organism,” which is something she relates to. Having been born disabled and also surviving a disfiguring car accident, AO’s body is enhanced by biotechnology. Refreshingly, she loves her body and proudly defends herself to an often ignorant public, but this constant emotional armoring against societal expectations takes its toll.

Nnedi Okorafor, who has also written Marvel comics like Wakanda Forever, presents her heroine and her story with uniquely exciting prose. This is a truly gripping novel, set in a richly-imagined future, that encourages embracing your own singular body and the way it serves you, no matter how other people see it.

Definitely worth checking out.