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I write stories and build worlds. Usually the fantastic kind.
Phenderson Djéli Clark is the award winning and Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and World Fantasy nominated author of the novels Abeni’s Song and A Master of Djinn, and the novellas Ring Shout, The Black God’s Drums and The Haunting of Tram Car 015. His stories have appeared in online venues such as Tor.com, Daily Science Fiction, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Apex, Lightspeed, Fireside Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and in print anthologies including, Griots, Hidden Youth and Clockwork Cairo. He is a founding member of FIYAH Literary Magazine and an infrequent reviewer at Strange Horizons.
Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, Texas, he spent the early formative years of his life in the homeland of his parents, Trinidad and Tobago. When not writing speculative fiction, P. Djèlí Clark works as an academic historian whose research spans comparative slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic World. He melds this interest in history and the social world with speculative fiction, and has written articles on issues ranging from racism and H.P. Lovecraft to critiques of George Schuyler’s Black Empire, and has been a panelist and lecturer at conventions, workshops and other genre events.
At current time, he resides in a small Edwardian castle in New England with his wife, daughters, and pet dragon (who suspiciously resembles a Boston Terrier). When so inclined he rambles on issues of speculative fiction, politics, and diversity at his aptly named blog The Disgruntled Haradrim.
Short Bio
Phenderson Djéli Clark is the author of the novel A Master of Djinn, and the award-winning and Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon nominated author of the novellas Ring Shout, The Black God’s Drums and The Haunting of Tram Car 015. His short stories have appeared in online venues such as Tor.com, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and in print anthologies including, Griots and Hidden Youth. You can find him on Twitter at @pdjeliclark and his blog The Disgruntled Haradrim.
Where to Find Me
Questions that Often Need Answering
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Pronunciation: Djéli, can be “Jel-ee” or “Jah-lee.” The D is silent.
Preferred Byline: P. Djéli Clark
You Can Call Me: Phenderson, Phen, or Djeli.
Agent: I’m represented by Seth Fishman at The Gernert Company.
Who Shot First? Han.
Interviews and Stuff
- Transfer Orbit (Nov 2021)
- Kobo (Oct 2021)
- Sno-Isle Library w/Rebecca Roanhorse (Oct 2021)
- Literary Hub (Sept 2021)
- National Book Festival (Sept 2021)
- Functional Nerds Podcast (August 2021)
- Reading and Writing Podcast (July 2021)
- Brooklyn Caribbean Lit (July 2021)
- Literary Hub x Tor.com (July 2021)
- Reading the End (July 2021)
- FanFiAddict (July 2021)
- Intermultiversal Space (July 2021)
- Skiffy and Fanty (June 2021)
- Read Learn Live (June 2021)
- LA Public Library (May 2021)
- David Agranoff (Feb 2021)
- Professional Book Nerds (Dec 2020)
- LA Public Library (Dec 2020)
- If This Goes On (Don’t Panic!) (Nov 2020)
- Turn the Page (Oct 2020)
- Skiffy and Fanty Podcast (Oct 2020)
- Grimdark Magazine (Oct 2020)
- Nerd Daily (Oct 2020)
- FanFiAddict (Oct 2020)
- Intermultiversal Space (Jul 2020)
- Coode Street Podcast (Jun 2020)
- Locus (Oct 2019)
- Eating the Fantastic (Aug 2019)
- The Nerd Daily (May 2019)
- Fantasy Hive (Feb 2019)
- Civilian Reader (Dec 2018)
- LA Public Library (Oct 2018)
- Lightspeed Magazine (Aug 2018)
- Thinker’s Garden (Sept 2016)