Biggs Endowment for the Department of English in Support of the Big Read. Free copies of the text are provided to community partners thanks to the Harriet M.

Each year, the department selects a book and creates a calendar of engaging events and activities.

First published in 2015, Binti has won multiple prestigious literary awards, including the 2016 Hugo Award, the 2015 Nebula Award, and the 2016 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella. The English department’s Big Read, now in its fifth year, is designed to enrich Purdue and Greater Lafayette through literature. Binti: The Complete Trilogy is a series of science fiction novellas written by Nnedi Okorafor, author of the Akata Witch series. Copies of “Binti: The Complete Trilogy” are available at local libraries and bookstores. For instance, Neil Gaiman writes, “Nnedi Okorafor writes glorious futures. Okorafor’s stories have been praised by critics. The series introduces readers to Okorafor’s unique brand of “Africanfuturism.” Set on Earth and in space, it tells the story of a young woman from Namibia who negotiates the stress of leaving home and heading off to college, confronting past tradition and future prospects as she struggles to find her place in an alien environment. Relying on her love of mathematics and also newfound friendships, Binti must negotiate prejudice, self-doubt, and trauma as the narrative builds to high-stakes conflicts between groups on Earth and beyond. In her Hugo- and Nebula-winning novella, Nnedi Okorafor introduced us to Binti, a young Himba girl with the chance of a lifetime: to attend the prestigious Oomza University. The 'Binti' collection consists of a trio of novellas - 'Binti' (2015), 'Binti: Home' (2017) and 'Binti: The Night Masquerade' (2018) - as well as a new short story. 'Binti' won the Hugo, Nebula and Nommo Awards for best science fiction novella. Nnedi Okorafor is a bestselling, Nigerian-American writer who has quickly gained a reputation as one of the foremost voices in contemporary science fiction. Purdue’s Department of English is partnering with West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County public libraries as well as other organizations to bring Nnedi Okorafor’s 'Binti' series to local readers.

Binti okorafor