Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian American writer of a genre of books called Afrofuturism, which combine science fiction with African mythology. Nnedi wrote the comic Black Panther: Long Live the King and is now working on a spin-off based on the superhero's sister’s character, Shuri. But becoming a writer was not the most straightforward journey for Nnedi. She was set to become a tennis player and a track athlete, when a surgery to her spine left her temporarily paralysed. While she was in hospital she found solace in writing. (Photo credit: Anyaugo Okorafor.)