OCTC Common Read Selection for Spring 2019
BINTI by Nnedi Okorafor
Owensboro, KY (01/17/2019) — The Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) Common Reading selection for the spring 2019 semester will be, Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. Dr. Okorafor earned a Hugo and Nebula Award for this novella first published in 2015, it is a Tor.com book published by Tom Doherty Associates.
The science fiction based coming of age story centers on Binti, the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.The story evolves into an adventure and Binti must use all her knowledge and more to save the galaxy.
Binti has evolved into a three part series, with subsequent titles: Binti: Home and Binti: The Night Masquerade.
The author will be at OCTC on Thursday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m. in Blandford Lecture Hall to do a presentation and book signing. Blandford Lecture Hall is located in the Humanities building at 4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro. That day from 5-6 p.m. the college will host a "Meet and Greet" reception in honor of Dr. Okorafor in the Industry Innovation Center. The events are free and open to the public.
Okorafor is an international, award-winning novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for both children and adults. She is the co-author of the Black Panther from Marvel Comics, with a movie adaptation that became a world-wide sensation! She's authored a spinoff graphic novel, Wakanda Forever, with a movie to follow. Her other comics include Antar: the Black Knight (IDW/Mirage Films), and LaGuardia. Author George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and HBO are turning Okorafor's adult novel, Who Fears Death, into a TV series. The Book of Phoenix (prequel to Who Fears Death) was heralded by the NY Times as a "triumph".
Born in the U.S. to Nigerian immigrant parents, Dr. Okorafor is known for weaving African culture and folklore into creative, evocative settings with memorable characters. She's a multi-NY Times bestselling author with a passionate following for her Binti series, and the Akata Witch books. Her children's book Chicken in the Kitchen won an Africana Book Award. Akata Witch 2: Akata Warrior, and Binti 2: Home, are now out in paperback. She holds a Ph.D in English.
Binti is available at the OCTC Bookstore. For more information about the OCTC Common Read program please contact tonya.northenor@kctcs.edu or for a listing of pertinent events visit facebook.com/octc.commonread.
##
Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
#
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
Media Attachments
The author will be at OCTC on Thursday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m. in Blandford Lecture Hall to do a presentation and book signing. Blandford Lecture Hall is located in the Humanities building at 4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro. That day from 5-6 p.m. the college will host a "Meet and Greet" reception in honor of Dr. Okorafor in the Industry Innovation Center. The events are free and open to the public.
