Nalo Hopkinson, a Jamaican-born Canadian science fiction and fantasy writer, has won a prestigious writing award. 

Hopkinson was named the 37th Damon Knight Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The award recognizes a “lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy.” 

Hopkinson, 60, is the first Black woman and the youngest person to win the award. Previous winners include acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writers Ursula K. Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, and Ray Bradbury. 

This is not Hopkinson’s first award. She entered the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest in 1998 and her novel, Brown Girl in the Ring, was published as a result. That book also won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. 

Hopkinson has also won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and her novel, Sister mine, won the Andre Norton Award. 

Hopkinson is based in California and is a professor of creative writing at the University of California Riverside.

She hopes her award will attract people to her work and encourage young writers to break into the science fiction and fantasy industry.

Hopkinson noted, “I know I represent a lot to people who didn’t think they could do what I’m doing for various reasons.”

SOURCES: CBC.CA, SFWA.ORG