The Suyiverse Report #1
Welcome to [my] 2021.
I’m not going to say much about 2020, and honestly, outside of paying tribute to all that has been lost to that year, the less we say about 2020, the better. I’m more of a glass-half-full kind of guy, and I’m already looking forward to the possibilities 2021 has on offer (starting with rolling back on doomscrolling because Darth Vader no longer has the reins to the most influential republic in current times, phew).
Having only just returned to Arizona from Lagos, who knows where the winds of opportunity might take me next? 2021 is the year I’m open to everything, and here’s what you can expect from me this year.
1) #SonoftheStorm releases in May (and here’s how you can support it!)
I don’t know if I’ve spoken enough about Son of the Storm in this letter, but my debut epic fantasy novel is finally upon us! It’ll hit shelves in May 2021 (Tuesday 11th in US/Canada, Thursday 13th in the UK/rest of the world). Here are all the ways you can support this book, many of them which cost nothing at all:
Add to your Goodreads “To-Read” List (very important for early buzz!)
If you haven’t yet, pre-order it (very important for early sales!)
If you’re a reviewer, you can request an early review copy on Netgalley or Edelweiss+
When you read it, leave a review! (Anywhere you like. Even just stars, or upvotes, are fine!)
If you can’t do any of these, boosting related posts on Twitter and Instagram helps. And if you’d love to get access to exclusive goodies for such thankless support, join my street squad!
#SonoftheStorm is one of the few good things to have come out of 2020 for me. It’ll be great to have your support after one hell of a year.
2) But #SOTS is not the only thing I have coming out!
You’ll also find my name on other stuff in 2021:
Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, edited by Jesse J Holland (2 March 2021, Marvel/Titan Books)
Black Boy Joy, a middle-grade anthology, edited by Kwame Mbalia (3 August 2021, Delacorte)
Untitled [redacted] video-game tie-in (September 2021, Del Rey): Sorry guys, I can’t speak about this one yet, other than I can say it’s also middle-grade!
3) Something something YA novel, something something Nameless Republic Book #2
Early last month, I completed my first YA novel: a contemporary fantasy tale set in a fictional city in southern Nigeria. It’s girl-goes-to-magical-school with a twist. Well, with many twists. My agent and I are currently pitching it as “Stranger Things meets Derry Girls meets Akata Witch.” Fingers crossed you will get to hear news about it this year!
I’m halfway through writing Book #2 of The Nameless Republic trilogy, so that title will be unveiled soon as well, and I’m sure you’ll like it! There are heists, more adventures, more magical creatures, and of course, more bickering, reveals and betrayals. Watch out!
4) I’ll be finishing grad school this year!
Again, not sure if I’ve ever mentioned here I’ve been working toward my MFA degree in Creative Writing since 2018, but I’ll finally be graduating this year. I’m pretty sure graduations are going to be as low-key as last year, but be sure that I will be turning up in my own corner of the world. Expect an explosion of colours and a lot of grinning.
One last thing. After Five will now be reaching you every other month. 2021 is my most packed year yet, and I have doubts I can run a half-monthly schedule efficiently. I’ll keep the newsletters snappy and likely more update-y, but whenever I can, I’ll sneak in more tidbits that can be of use to y’all. Perhaps 2022 will be kinder and you can hear from me more often.
Thanks for sticking with me. Now let’s ride out into the year like the badasses we are.
-Suyi. ❤️
