P. Djèlí Clark

P. Djèlí Clark
BornDexter Gabriel
1971 (age 52–53)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Pen namePhenderson Djèlí Clark
OccupationWriter, historian
NationalityAmerican
EducationTexas State University (BA, MA)
Stony Brook University (Ph.D)
Period2011–present
GenreFantasy, science fiction
Notable works
Academic background
ThesisA West Indian Jubilee in America: British Emancipation and the American Abolition Movement (2016)
Doctoral advisorApril Masten
Academic work
DisciplineAfrican American History
InstitutionsUniversity of Connecticut
Website
pdjeliclark.com

Dexter Gabriel (born 1971), better known by his pen name Phenderson Djèlí Clark, is an American speculative fiction writer and historian, who is an assistant professor in the department of history at the University of Connecticut. He uses a pen name to differentiate his literary work from his academic work, and has also published under the name A. Phenderson Clark. This pen name, "Djèlí", makes reference to the griots – traditional Western African storytellers, historians and poets.

In 2022, his fantasy novel A Master of Djinn won the Nebula and Locus Awards. He has also won awards for his short fiction, including the Nebula, Locus and British Fantasy Awards for the novella Ring Shout in 2021.

Life and career

Dexter Gabriel was born in New York City in 1971, but spent most of his early years living in his parents' original home of Trinidad and Tobago.[1][2] At age eight, he returned to the United States and lived in Staten Island and Brooklyn before moving to Houston, when he was 12.[3][1] Gabriel went to college at Texas State University, San Marcos, earning a B.A. and then an M.A. in history. He then earned a doctorate in history from Stony Brook University. Gabriel is currently assistant professor in the department of history at the University of Connecticut.[4]

In 2011, Gabriel began publishing short stories variously as P. Djèlí Clark, Djèlí A. Clark, Phenderson Djèlí Clark, and A. Phenderson Clark.[2] Phenderson was his grandfather's name, while Clark was his mother's maiden name; Djèlí refers to West African storytellers, known in French as griots.[1][5] He chose to use a pen name in order to separate his academic and literary work. In 2016, Clark sold his first major work, a novelette titled "A Dead Djinn in Cairo", to Tor.com.[1]

Since then, he has published novellas, short stories, and a novel. Four of his works – "A Dead Djinn in Cairo", "The Angel of Khan el-Khalili", The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and A Master of Djinn – are set in the same world, an alternate-universe Egypt. They are collectively titled the Ministry of Alchemy series[2] or the Dead Djinn Universe.[6]

Literary recognition

Novels

Novels
Year[a] Work Award Result Ref.
2021 A Master of Djinn Compton Crook Award Won [7]
Dragon Award Shortlisted [8]
Hugo Award Shortlisted [9]
Ignyte Award Won [10]
Locus Award Won [11]
Mythopoeic Award Shortlisted [9]
Nebula Award Won [12]
World Fantasy Award Shortlisted [13]

Novellas

Novellas
Year[a] Work Award Result Ref.
2018 The Black God's Drums Hugo Award Shortlisted [14]
Locus Award Nominated [9]
Nebula Award Shortlisted [9]
World Fantasy Award Shortlisted [9]
2019 The Haunting of Tram Car 015 Hugo Award Shortlisted [15]
Locus Award Nominated [9]
Mythopoeic Award Shortlisted [9]
Nebula Award Shortlisted [16]
2020 Ring Shout British Fantasy Award Won [9]
Hugo Award Shortlisted [17]
Ignyte Award Shortlisted [18]
Locus Award Won [9]
Nebula Award Won [19]
Shirley Jackson Award Shortlisted [9]
World Fantasy Award Shortlisted [9]

Short stories

Short stories
Year[a] Work Award Result Ref.
2018 "The Secret Lives of the Nine
Negro Teeth of George
Washington" 		Hugo Award Shortlisted [20]
Locus Award Won [21]
Nebula Award Won [22]
Sturgeon Award Shortlisted [23]
2021 "If the Martians Have Magic" Locus Award Nominated [9]
Sturgeon Award Shortlisted [24]
World Fantasy Award Shortlisted [13]
2024 "How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub" Hugo Award Shortlisted [25]

Partial bibliography

Dead Djinn Universe

Other works

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Year of publication

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Phenderson Djèlí Clark: Wonderful Things to Behold". Locus Magazine. October 28, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Clute, John (May 23, 2022). "Clark, Phenderson Djèlí". In Clute, John; Langford, David (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.). Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  3. ^ Maxwell, Daryl (October 2, 2018). "Interview With an Author: P. Djèlí Clark". Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  4. ^ "Dexter Gabriel | Department of History". University of Connecticut. August 15, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  5. ^ Fortier, Ron. "Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology". New York Journal of Books. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Mayer, Petra (August 18, 2021). "The 50 best science fiction and fantasy books of the past decade". NPR.
  7. ^ "Clark Wins 2022 Compton Crook Award". Locus Magazine. April 12, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  8. ^ Glyer, Mike (August 12, 2021). "2021 Dragon Awards Ballot". File 770. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "P. Djèlí Clark Awards". Science Fiction Awards Database. Locus Science Fiction Foundation. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  10. ^ FIYAH Magazine [@fiyahlitmag] (September 17, 2022). "And the best 2022 Novel winner is... @pdjeliclark's A Master of Djinn #IGNYTEAwards" (Tweet). Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "2022 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  12. ^ "SFWA Announces the Winners of the 57th Annual Nebula Awards®" (Press release). Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "2022 World Fantasy Awards Finalists". Locus Magazine. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Morgan, Cheryl (April 2, 2019). "2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists". The Hugo Awards. World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "Announcing the 2020 Hugo Award Finalists". Tor.com. Macmillan. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  16. ^ "2019 Nebula Awards". The Nebula Awards. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. World Science Fiction Society. January 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  18. ^ Templeton, Molly (September 20, 2021). "Announcing the 2021 Ignyte Awards Winners!". Reactor. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  19. ^ "SFWA Announces 56th Annual Nebula Award Winners". The Nebula Awards. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists". The Hugo Awards. World Science Fiction Society. April 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  21. ^ "2019 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. June 29, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  22. ^ "2018 Nebula Awards". The Nebula Awards. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  23. ^ "Sturgeon Award Finalists Announced". Locus Magazine. March 5, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  24. ^ "2022 Sturgeon Award Finalists". Locus Magazine. May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  25. ^ "2024 Hugo Awards". February 4, 2024.
  26. ^ Bright, Matthew (2017). Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt. Twopenny Books. ISBN 978-1527207776. OCLC 988951623.