Nafissa Thompson-Spires is a highly accomplished author of fiction and short stories, who was born in Jamaica and raised in the United States. She has earned two advanced degrees, a doctorate from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois. Thompson-Spires has established herself as a talented writer, with her work appearing in numerous publications such as Lunch Ticket, Story Quarterly, and The Feminist Wire.
Thompson-Spires has received numerous accolades for her writing, including being named a 2016 fellow of the Callaloo Writer’s Workshop. Her work has been featured in various publications, including McSweeny’s “The Organist,” The Paris Review Daily, Dissent, Buzzfeed Books, The White Review, and The Los Angeles Review of Books Quarterly Journal. She has also received support from Callaloo, Tin House, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference.
Thompson-Spires' short story "Heads of the Colored People: Four Fancy Sketches, Two Chalk Outlines, and No Apology" won StoryQuarterly’s 2016 Fiction Prize, judged by Mat Johnson. Her debut short story collection, "Heads of the Colored People," was longlisted for the National Book Award and is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. The collection explores the concept of black identity in the modern world, and the ways in which society shapes and defines it. Through her writing, Thompson-Spires offers a unique and compelling perspective on issues of race, identity, and culture.