Nigerian author Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki has announced that his debut Afropantheology novel Birth of Orisha has been acquired by Shahid Mahmud of Caezik Books, an imprint of Arc Manor, with Lezli Robyn editing. The publisher’s roster includes science fiction luminaries such as H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein, and George R.R. Martin, placing Ekpeki’s work in prestigious company.

Birth of Orisha is set in a far-future Africa devastated by nuclear war, where survivors battle radiation, mutation, and environmental collapse while grappling with heavy moral questions. The novel blends spirituality with science fiction and represents the first book in The Orisha Cycle trilogy. It exemplifies Afropantheology, a subgenre Ekpeki coined with Joshua Uchenna Omenga as a literary and philosophical framework for African spirituality. The book has garnered advance praise from major science fiction authors including Pat Cadigan, P. Djèlí Clark, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tananarive Due, and David Brin.

Arc Manor previously published Ekpeki’s novelette O2 Arena, which made him the first and only African-born writer to win the Nebula Award, as well as his anthology The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2021, which earned him the World Fantasy Award as the first African editor to receive this honor. He also became the first Black editor alongside Sheree Renee Thomas to be nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form.

Ekpeki is now represented for film and television by Vince Gerardis of Starling Inc., the producer behind Game of Thrones, House of Dragons, and the forthcoming Elden Ring movie. His literary agent is Mark Gottlieb, executive vice president of Trident Media Group, whose client list includes Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and Marlon James.