Bios

Full Bio

Wole Talabi is an engineer, writer and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of the science fiction thriller The Fist Of Memory (2026) and the acclaimed fantasy novel Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (2023) which was nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor.com; his most popular stories, including The Regression Test, Wednesday’s Story, and A Dream of Electric Mothers are collected in Convergence Problems (2024) and Incomplete Solutions (2019). His stories, which have been translated into ten languages, often center on African culture, myths, history and philosophies, combining heritage with technological possibilities. Talabi’s writing has earned him the Sidewise Award for Alternate History,  the Nommo award for African speculative fiction, and multiple nominations, including as a finalist for the Hugo award and the Caine Prize for African Writing. He edited the anthologies Africanfuturism: An Anthology, and Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology. Born in Warri, Nigeria, he now lives and works in Perth, Australia. He likes scuba diving, elegant equations, and oddly shaped things. 

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Wole Talabi is an award-winning Nigerian author, editor and engineer. He is considered a leading voice of African speculative fiction.

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Wole Talabi is an award-winning Nigerian writer. He is the author of The Fist Of Memory (2026) and Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (2023). His short fiction is collected in Convergence Problems (2024) and Incomplete Solutions (2019). His stories explore future and myth through an Africanfuturist lens.

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Wole Talabi is an engineer, writer and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of The Fist Of Memory (2026) and Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (2023). His short fiction is collected in the books Convergence Problems (2024) and Incomplete Solutions (2019). Talabi’s writing has earned him the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, the Nommo award for African speculative fiction, and multiple nominations, including as a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus awards and the Caine Prize for African Writing. He has edited five anthologies including Africanfuturism, and Mothersound. He currently lives in Perth, Australia.

Book Covers

The Fist of Memory

Book cover for The Fist of Memory with blue geometric background, large yellow and blue text, featuring quotes from Annalee Newitz and Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Convergence Problems

Book cover for 'Convergence Problems' by Wole Talabi featuring purple, black, gold, and white abstract and cosmic illustrations, including a human face, stars, planets, and circuit-like patterns.

Convergence Problems West African Cover

Cover of a book titled 'Convergence Problems' with a stylized blue line art illustration of a human face with circuitry and technological elements on a dark background. Text at the top mentions Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award nominations for a story named 'A Dream of Electric Mothers'. The bottom features the author name 'WOLETALABI' in pink and white with radiating pink lines.

Shigidi and The Brass Head of Obalufon

Book cover with black background featuring geometric designs in red, yellow, white, and blue. Centered text reads "Wole Talabi and The Brass Head of Obalufon," with additional text mentioning it as an award-winning story and a quote from The Guardian.

Shigidi and The Brass Head of Obalufon

Book cover titled "Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon" by Wole Talabi, featuring a stylized yellow and black illustrated face of a deity or figure with red decorative elements on a black background.

Shigidi and The Brass Head of Obalufon UK Cover

Book cover titled "Shigidi" by Wole Talabi, featuring a stylized illustration of a building with pillars, a brass head of Obalufon, and decorative African patterns in red and gold on a black background.

Incomplete Solutions

Book cover of "Incomplete Solutions" by Wole Talabi featuring futuristic and robotic elements with human faces, circuit-like graphics, and geometric patterns in Black, Red, Black, and White colors.

Incomplete Solutions Spanish Cover

Book cover in blue with a profile silhouette of a human head, some parts of the head are robotic or mechanical. Title reads 'Ecuaciones Esenciales' by Woile Talabi.

Headshots

Wole Talabi with a shaved head and goatee speaking into a microphone at a conference, wearing a tan shirt and a yellow lanyard, with a blue background.
Wole Talabi in a light gray blazer giving a presentation at the 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Convention, holding a microphone and a small object, standing behind a blue podium with Chinese and English text.
Black and white photo of Wole Talabi with a shaved head wearing a jacket, sitting outdoors near some plants, with a traditional building and trees in the background.
Close-up of a Wole Talabi's face with a shaved head, facial hair, and wearing a black jacket, indoors with blurred warm-colored background.
Black and white photo of Wole Talabi with a shaved head and goatee looking to the side, with a blurred background.
Close-up of Wole Talabi with a shaved head and a trimmed beard, smiling slightly, wearing a light denim shirt with a striped inner collar, and blue sunglasses hanging from the shirt's neckline, standing against a textured blue background.
A man with a bald head and a salt-and-pepper beard, wearing a navy shirt with pink flamingo patterns, against a light blue background.
A man with a bald head and beard wearing a checkered shirt and sunglasses hanging from his shirt sits at a table in a room with a bookshelf, a potted plant, and orange curtains.

Resources

Awards

Awards Won

Award Finalist Nomination

  • Ignyte Award Finalist for Outstanding Novella (2026), Nebula Award Finalist for Best Novella (2025), BSFA Award Finalist for Best Shorter Fiction (2025) – Descent

  • The Aldiss Award Shortlist for Worldbuilding in Speculative Fiction (2025), Ignyte Award Finalist for Outstanding Novel (2024), World Fantasy Award Finalist for Best Novel (2024), British Fantasy Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Novel (2024), Locus Award Finalist for Best First Novel (2024), Nebula Award Finalist for Best Novel (2023)  –  Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon