Rewriting Fantasy Tropes on Race and Economy

Aug 16, 2024

Jordan Ifueko was only 13 when she wrote her debut novel, , an Afrofantasy for young readers. When the book was finally published, it ended up on The New York Times best sellers list and is now being developed as a .听

Born to Nigerian immigrant parents, Ifueko wanted to see characters like herself in fiction and literature. Her third novel, out this month, is called , and is set in the same universe as Raybearer and her second book, Redemptor.听

Ifueko spoke with 猫咪社区! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on 猫咪社区! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about how her new book upends racial stereotypes and subverts tropes about essential and domestic workers.

Sonali Kolhatkar joined 猫咪社区! in summer 2021, building on a long and decorated career in broadcast and print journalism. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and host and creator of聽猫咪社区! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali, a nationally syndicated television and radio program airing on Free Speech TV and dozens of independent and community radio stations. She is also Senior Correspondent with the Independent Media Institute鈥檚 Economy for All project where she writes a weekly column. She is the author of聽Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice聽(2023) and聽Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence聽(2005). Her forthcoming book is called聽Talking About Abolition聽(Seven Stories Press, 2025). Sonali is co-director of the nonprofit group, Afghan Women鈥檚 Mission which she helped to co-found in 2000. She has a Master鈥檚 in Astronomy from the University of Hawai鈥檌, and two undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Sonali reflects on 鈥淢y Journey From Astrophysicist to Radio Host鈥� in her 2014聽聽of the same name.