K. Tempest Bradford

K. Tempest Bradford
Bradford in 2023
Born	(1978-04-19) April 19, 1978 (age 46) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Writer, editor, creative writing teacher
Genre	Science fiction, fantasy, Middle grade fiction
Notable works	Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion
Notable awards	Nebula Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (2023), Locus Award (2020, 2023), IGNYTE Award (2020, 2021), The Lemonade Award (2022)
Website
www.ktempestbradford.com

K. Tempest Bradford (born April 19, 1978 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an African-American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. She was a non-fiction and managing editor with Fantasy Magazine from 2007 to 2009, and has edited fiction for Peridot Books, The Fortean Bureau, and Sybil's Garage.[1][2] She is the author of Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion, her debut middle grade novel published in 2022,[3] which won the Andre Norton Award in 2023.[4]

Biography

A graduate of New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Bradford is also an alumna of the Clarion West Writers Workshop (class of 2003)[5] and the Online Writing Workshop (formerly Del Rey). She has been a juror for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award and is currently Vice-Chair of the Carl Brandon Society Steering Committee.

Bradford is an activist for racial and gender equality both within and outside of the science fiction community. In 2005, she founded the Angry Black Woman blog, and her contributions under that moniker have appeared in Feminist SF: The Blog, ColorLines,[6] NPR's News & Notes,[7] and African-American studies textbooks.

Event chalkboard at with Bradford at Powell's Books

She teaches creative writing classes that focus on writing inclusive narratives for Writing the Other,[8] LitReactor,[9] and Clarion West.[10]

Selected works

Fiction

• Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion (September 2022, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), ISBN 978-0374388799)
• "The Copper Scarab" in Clockwork Cairo, ed. Matthew Bright, 2017 and Sunspot Jungle: The Ever Expanding Universe of Fantasy and Science Fiction, ed. Bill Campbell, 2019.[11]
• "Until Forgiveness Comes" in Strange Horizons, 2008 and In the Shadow of the Towers: Speculative Fiction in a Post-9/11 World, ed. Douglas Lain, 2015[12]
• "Uncertainty Principle" in Diverse Energies, 2012.
• "Black Feather" in Interfictions, 2007;[13] PodCastle, 2010, and Happily Ever After, ed. John Klima, 2011.[14]
• "Elan Vital" in Sybil's Garage No. 6, 2009 and EscapePod episode 269, 2010.[15]
• "Enmity" in Electric Velocipede issue 17/18, 2009.[16]
• "Different Day" in Federations, 2009.
• "The Seventh Reflection" in Thou Shalt Not... a horror and dark fantasy anthology, 2006.
• "Change of Life" in Farthing, 2006; PodCastle, 2009.[17]
• "Hard Rain" in Farthing, 2006.
• "Why I Don't Drink Anymore" (as Finley Larkin) in Abyss & Apex, 2003.
• "Elf Aware" (as Finley Larkin) in Cafe Irreal, 2002; PodCastle, 2009.[18]
• "What We Make Of It" in Peridot Books, 2000.

Non-fiction

• "Androids and Allegory", Mother of Invention anthology supplementary essay, Twelfth Planet Press, 2018.
• "Representation Matters: A Literary Call To Arms", LitReactor Magazine, 2017.
• "Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible", NPR Code Switch blog, 2017.
• io9 Newsstand, a weekly column at io9, 2014 - 2015.
• "An ‘Unexpected’ Treat For Octavia E. Butler Fans", NPR Book Review, 2014.
• "Invisible Bisexuality in Torchwood", Apex Magazine, 2014.
• "Women Are Destroying Science Fiction! (That’s OK; They Created It)", NPR Books, 2014.
• "What Will Be The Next Game Of Thrones? We’ve Got Some Ideas", NPR Books, 2014.
• "The Women We Don't See: Season Thirteen", Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who. Mad Norwegian Press, 2012.
• "Why Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is The Ultimate White Guilt Fantasy", io9, 2012.
• "Martha Jones: Fangirl Blues", Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It. Mad Norwegian Press, 2010.
• "Why 'Black' and Not 'African American'?", Key Debates: An Introduction To African American Studies. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Jennifer Burton (January 2010)
• Q&A, The WisCon Chronicles, vol. 1. Aqueduct Press, 2007.
• "On the Clarion Workshops", The WisCon Chronicles, vol. 2. Aqueduct Press, 2008.
• "WisCon and POC Spaces", The WisCon Chronicles, vol. 3: Carnival of Feminist SF. Aqueduct Press, 2009.

Role-playing games

• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (writer, Wizards of the Coast, 2021)[19]

Awards

Year	Award	For
2009	Last Drink Bird Head Award	Gentle Advocacy[20]
2020	Locus Award	Locus Special Award to Writing the Other (Nisi Shawl, Cynthia Ward, and K. Tempest Bradford) for Inclusivity and Representation Education[21]
2020	IGNYTE Award Nominee (The Community Award)	Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre[22]
2021	IGNYTE Award Nominee (The Community Award)	Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre[23]
2021	IGNYTE Award Nominee (The Ember Award)	Unsung Contributions to Genre[24]
2022	The Lemonade Award	Acts of kindness by individuals that further science fiction community[25]
2023	The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction	Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion[26]
2023	IGNYTE Award Nominee for Best in Middle Grade	Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion[27]

Notes

1. oldcharliebrown (14 July 2008). "Press Release: Fantasy Magazine, Shiny and New! - oldcharliebrown". Oldcharliebrown.livejournal.com. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
2. "The Fortean Bureau -- About Us". Archived from the original on 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
3. "Publisher Page for Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion". Retrieved 2022-03-10.
4. "SFWA Announces the Winners of the 58th Annual Nebula Awards". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
5. "Clarion West Alumni List". Clarion West Writers Workshop. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
6. "THE RISE OF THE ANGRY BLACK WOMAN BLOG | RaceWire". Archived from the original on 2008-11-27. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
7. "Roundtable: A Super Bowl To Remember". NPR. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
8. "Teachers - Writing the Other.com". Retrieved 2020-10-18.
9. "LitReactor Instructors". Retrieved 2020-10-18.
10. "Clarion West One-Day Workshop". Retrieved 2020-10-18.
11. "The Copper Scarab". www.goodreads.com.
12. Mandel, Leo (17 November 2008). "Strange Horizons Fiction: Until Forgiveness Comes, by K. Tempest Bradford". Strangehorizons.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
13. Interstitial art
14. "123: Black Feather". PodCastle. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
15. "Elan Vital". escapepod.org. 2 December 2010.
16. "Fiction Flashback – K. Tempest Bradford » Electric Velocipede". www.electricvelocipede.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
17. "053: Change of Life". PodCastle. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
18. "Miniature 28: Elf Aware". PodCastle. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
19. Hall, Charlie (2021-02-23). "Next Dungeons & Dragons campaign book reboots the many realms of Ravenloft". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
20. "Last Drink Bird Head Award Winners". jeffvandermeer.com. November 2009. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
21. "2020 Locus Awards Online". 4 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
22. FIYAHCON (2020). "The IGNYTE Award Winners and Nominees". Retrieved 2020-10-18.
23. FIYAHCON (2020). "The IGNYTE Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
24. FIYAHCON (2021). "The IGNYTE Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
25. EagleCon (2020). "Lemonade Award". Retrieved 2022-03-10.
26. SFWA Nebula Awards (2023). "SFWA Announces the Winners of the 58th Annual Nebula Awards". Retrieved 2023-07-06.
27. FIYAHCON (2023). "Announcing the 2023 IGNYTE Awards Shortlist". Retrieved 2023-07-06.

External links

• Official website
• Entry at the Feminist SF wiki
• K. Tempest Bradford at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• K. Tempest Bradford at IMDb
• Angry Black Woman blog