Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Tananarive Due

Tananarive Priscilla Due is an American author and educator. Due won the American Book Award for her novel The Living Blood (2001), and the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, and the World Fantasy Award for her novel The Reformatory (2023). She is also known as a film historian with expertise in Black horror. Due teaches a course at UCLA called "The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival and the Black Horror Aesthetic", which focuses on the Jordan Peele film Get Out.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
Read time
≈ 8 min
Length
1,901 w
Citations
67
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Tananarive Due
Due at the 2023 National Book Festival
Due at the 2023 National Book Festival
Born
Tananarive Priscilla Due

(1966-01-05) January 5, 1966
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Occupation
  • Writer
  • educator
EducationMedill School of Journalism (BS)
University of Leeds (MA)
Genre{{Cslist|Science fiction|mystery|horror|
Literary movementAfro-Surrealism1
SpouseSteven Barnes
Children
Jason (son)
Website
tananarivedue.com

Tananarive Priscilla Due (/təˈnænəriːv ˈdjuː/ tə-NAN-ə-reev DEW) (born January 5, 1966) is an American author and educator. Due won the American Book Award for her novel The Living Blood (2001), and the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, and the World Fantasy Award for her novel The Reformatory (2023).23 She is also known as a film historian with expertise in Black horror. Due teaches a course at UCLA called "The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival and the Black Horror Aesthetic", which focuses on the Jordan Peele film Get Out.4

Early life and education

Due was born in Tallahassee, Florida, the oldest of three daughters of civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due and civil rights lawyer John D. Due Jr.5 Her mother named her after the French name for Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.6

Due earned a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and an M.A. in English literature, with a focus on Nigerian literature, from the University of Leeds.7 At Northwestern, she lived in the Communications Residential College.8

Career

Due was working as a journalist and columnist for the Miami Herald when she wrote her first novel, The Between, in 1995.8 This, like many of her subsequent books, was part of the supernatural genre.9

Due also wrote The Black Rose, a historical novel about Madam C. J. Walker (based in part on research conducted by Alex Haley before his death),10 and Freedom in the Family, a nonfiction work co-authored with Patricia Stephens Due about the civil rights movement.11 She contributed to the humor novel Naked Came the Manatee, a mystery thriller parody to which various Miami-area authors contributed chapters.12 Due also authored the African Immortals novel series13 and co-authored the Tennyson Hardwick novels with Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes.14

Due was a member of the affiliate faculty in the creative writing MFA program at Antioch University Los Angeles15 and an endowed Cosby chair in the humanities at Spelman College in Atlanta.16

She developed a course at UCLA called "The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival and the Black Horror Aesthetic" after the release of the 2017 film Get Out. The first course went viral and included a visit from Jordan Peele.4

Due was featured in the 2019 documentary film Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, produced by Shudder.4

Her novel The Reformatory was published by Saga Press in 2023.171819

Personal life

Due is the daughter of civil rights activists Patricia Stephens Due and civil rights attorney John D. Due Jr. She has two sisters, Johnita and Lydia.20

Due is married to author Steven Barnes,21 whom she met in 1997 at a Clark Atlanta University panel on "The African-American Fantastic Imagination".22 The couple lives in Los Angeles with their son, Jason.2324

Bibliography

Bibliography

Novels

African Immortals series

The Tennyson Hardwick novels

  • Casanegra (with Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes, 2007)
  • In the Night of the Heat (with Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes, 2008)
  • From Cape Town with Love (with Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes, 2010)
  • South by Southeast (with Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes, 2012)

Short story collections

  • Ghost Summer: Stories (2015)
  • The Wishing Pool and Other Stories (2023)

Graphic novels

  • The Keeper (with Steven Barnes, illustrated by Marco Finnegan, 2022)

Other books

Short stories

Awards and recognition

Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
1995 The Between Bram Stoker Award First Novel Nominated 26
1997 My Soul to Keep Bram Stoker Award Novel Nominated 27
2001 The Living Blood International Horror Guild Award Novel Nominated 28
2002 American Book Award — Won 29
2003 The Good House International Horror Guild Award Novel Nominated 28
2009 "Ghost Summer" Carl Brandon Award Kindred Award Won 30
In the Night of the Heat NAACP Image Award Fiction Wona 31
2015 "Herd Immunity" Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award — Finalist 32
2016 Ghost Summer: Stories British Fantasy Award Collection Won 33
NAACP Image Award Fiction Nominated 34
2020 N/a Ignyte Award Ember Award Finalist 35
"Black Horror Rising" Ignyte Award Creative Nonfiction Won 35
2021 N/a Ignyte Award Ember Award Finalist 36
2022 N/a Ignyte Award Ember Award Won 37
2023 Africa Risen Locus Award Anthology Wonb 38
"Incident at Bear Creek Lodge" Locus Award Novelette Finalist 38
World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Won 39
The Keeperc Locus Award Illustrated and Art Book Finalist 38
NAACP Image Award Fiction Nominated 40
The Reformatory Booklist Editors' Choice Genre Fiction Selected 41
Bram Stoker Award Novel Won 42
Goodreads Choice Awards Horror Nominated 43
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Ray Bradbury Prize Won 44
Shirley Jackson Award Novel Won 45
"Rumpus Room" Bram Stoker Award Long Fiction Nominated 42
2024 The Reformatory BCALA Literary Awards Fiction Honor 46
Chautauqua Prize — Won 47
Dragon Awards Horror Novel Nominated 48
Locus Award Horror Novel Finalist 49
Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award — Longlisted 50
RUSA CODES Reading List Horror Shortlisted 51
World Fantasy Award Novel Won 52
"Suppertime" Locus Award Short Story Finalist 49
The Wishing Pool and Other Stories Locus Award Collection Finalist 49
2025 "A Stranger Knocks" Ignyte Award Novelette Finalist 53
Locus Award Novelette Finalist 54
See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. With Steven Barnes and Blair Underwood
  2. The award was jointly awarded to all authors included in the anthology.
  3. Co-authored with Steven Barnes; illustrated by Marco Finnegan
References

References

  1. Spenser, Rochelle (2021). AfroSurrealism: The African Diaspora's Surrealist Fiction. The Cultural Politics of Media and Popular Culture. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-103-208-237-0.
  2. "The 2023 Bram Stoker Awards Winners". The Bram Stoker Awards. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  3. "2023 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners". The Shirley Jackson Awards. July 13, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  4. Obie, Brooke (March 8, 2019). "What Is Black Horror? 'The Sunken Place' Professor Tananarive Due Explains". Blavity. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. "Patricia Stevens Due and Tananarive Due". NPR. January 16, 2003. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  6. Due, Tananarive; Due, Patricia Stephens (2009). Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. Random House. ISBN 978-0-307-52534-5.
  7. "Tananarive Due". African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  8. Su, Jennifer (Fall 2001). "Getting Her Due". Northwestern Alumni News. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  9. Mohanraj, Mary A. (2003). "Tananarive Due". In Bleiler, Richard (ed.). Supernatural fiction writers: contemporary fantasy and horror (2nd ed.). New York: Scribner. pp. 309–314. ISBN 978-0-684-31250-7.
  10. Callison, Tracey A. (November 2000). "The Black Rose". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  11. "Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights". Zinn Education Project. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  12. "NAKED CAME THE MANATEE". Kirkus Reviews. December 15, 1996.
  13. "Blood Colony by Tananarive Due". Publishers Weekly. April 28, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  14. "Tennyson Hardwick Series". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  15. "Tananarive Due". Antioch University Los Angeles. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016.
  16. "Past - Present Chairs". Spelman College. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013.
  17. Hand, Elizabeth (October 30, 2023). "Deaths at a Florida 'reform' school inspire a masterful horror novel". Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  18. Iglesias, Gabino (November 2, 2023). "'The Reformatory' tells a story of ghosts, abuse, racism — and sibling love". NPR. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  19. Woods, Paula L. (October 26, 2023). "Black horror is having a big moment. So is its pioneer, Tananarive Due". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  20. Jenkins Field, Dorothy (June 18, 2020). "Let us remember those fathers who led civil-rights struggles in Florida". Miami Herald.
  21. Dozois, Gardner, ed. (2001). The Year's Best Science Fiction: Eighteenth Annual Collection. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 594. ISBN 978-0-312-27465-8.
  22. Barnes, Steven (2013). "On Tananarive Due". SFbios.com. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  23. "Tananarive Due | Contributors". ABRAMS. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  24. "Steven Barnes". Chicon 8. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  25. Foster, Eugie (July 28, 2006). "Fantasy & Science Fiction, Sept. 2006". Tangent.
  26. "1995 Bram Stoker Award Winners & Nominees". Bram Stoker Awards. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  27. "1997 Bram Stoker Award Winners & Nominees". Bram Stoker Awards. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  28. "IHG Award Recipients". International Horror Guild. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  29. "Before Columbus Foundation Presents the winners of the American Book Awards 2002". American Book Awards. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  30. "Carl Brandon Society Awards". Carl Brandon Society. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013.
  31. N'neka Hite (February 12, 2009). "'Bees' big at NAACP Image Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  32. "2015 Campbell and Sturgeon Awards Winners". Locus. June 15, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  33. "2016 British Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus. September 25, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  34. "2016 Image Winners". Variety. February 6, 2016. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  35. "2020 Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus. October 18, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  36. "2021 Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus. September 18, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  37. Emmet Asher-Perrin (September 17, 2022). "Announcing the Winners of the 2022 Ignyte Awards!". Tor.com. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  38. "2023 Locus Awards Winners". Locus. June 25, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  39. Molly Templeton (October 30, 2023). "Announcing the 2023 World Fantasy Awards Winners". Reactor. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  40. Mekishana Pierre (February 25, 2023). "2023 NAACP Image Awards: Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  41. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books, 2023". Booklist. December 1, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  42. "2023 Stoker Awards Winners". Locus. June 3, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  43. "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Horror!". Goodreads. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  44. "Los Angeles Times Announces Winners of 44th Annual Book Prizes". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  45. "2023 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners". Locus. July 13, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  46. "Adult". Black Caucus American Library Association. October 14, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  47. "Due Wins Chautauqua Prize". Locus. June 7, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  48. "sfadb: Dragon Awards 2024". SFADB. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  49. "2024 Locus Awards Winners". Locus. June 22, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  50. "Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award Longlist". Library Thing. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  51. "The Reading List". RUSA Update. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  52. Armstrong, Vanessa (October 24, 2024). "Here Are the 2024 World Fantasy Award Winners". Reactor. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  53. Molly Templeton (June 9, 2025). "Here Are the Finalists for the 2025 Ignyte Awards". Reactor. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  54. "2025 Locus Awards Winners". Locus. June 21, 2025. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
External links