Death of the Author draws directly from Okorafor’s personal experience as a Nigerian American writer with a disability, marking a departure from her usual work as a science fiction writer. Okorafor was born in 1974 to Igbo parents who had immigrated to the US. In her early teens, Okorafor developed scoliosis, which worsened as she grew older. She sought spinal fusion surgery to treat her condition, but due to a rare complication, the treatment resulted in paralysis below the waist. Okorafor eventually regained limited mobility in her legs through physical therapy. 

Following her surgery, Okorafor discovered her affinity for writing. She pursued studies in creative writing, which led to her participation in the Clarion Writers Workshop, one of the United States’ premier workshops for speculative fiction, in 2001. She began publishing short stories around this time, and her early success was marked by her recognition as a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers in 2001, which honors the potential of emerging Black writers in college. She published her debut novel, a young adult work titled Zahrah the Windseeker, in 2005 and received the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.

Okorafor has received many awards for her speculative work, including the World Fantasy Award in 2011 for her first adult novel,

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