It’s all happening for Tade Thompson’s novel Rosewater, which has just won Best Novel at the very first Nommo Awards, the first awards for African speculative fiction, and has been picked up for worldwide publishing by Orbit Books.
Originally published by indie press Apex, Rosewater is the first in a trilogy and we have the synopsis for you right here:
“Winner of the inaugural Nommo Award for Best Novel
Africa’s first award for speculative fiction
John W. Campbell Award finalist for Best Science Fiction Novel
Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless – people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumoured healing powers.
Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn’t care to again – but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realisation about a horrifying future.
The trilogy will chronicle the effects and aftereffects of a biological catastrophe first on an individual, then on a community and finally the world.”
Thompson said “I’m delighted to work with Orbit. To join the ranks of sci-fi greats like Brin, Banks, Moon, Leckie, Robinson and Elliott among others is an honour for me.” Orbit’s senior commissioning editor Jenni Hill said “Tade had us hooked from the very first page, and the Orbit teams in both London and New York are thrilled to publish this fantastic novel! I just can’t wait to read book two. “
The C+W agency’s Alexander Cochran sold the worldwide publishing rights for the novel and the next two books in the trilogy, and said “I’m a huge admirer of the Orbit list, so am absolutely thrilled that Tade’s work has found a home with Jenni and her brilliant colleagues.”
The Nommo Awards were held in Nigeria, and prizes also went to the awesome Nnedi Okorafor, who won Best Novella for Binti, while Lesley Nneka Arimah and Tendai Huchu tied for Best Short Story.
Thompson is a British author whose previous work includes the novella The Murders of Molly Southbourne.
Stay tuned for more on Rosewater and Tade Thompson.