G. Willow Wilson

G. Willow Wilson
G. Willow Wilson in 2018
Born Gwendolyn Willow Wilson
(1982-08-31) August 31, 1982
New Jersey, United States
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, Artist
Notable works
 Cairo, Air, Alif the Unseen, Ms. Marvel
gwillowwilson.com

Gwendolyn Willow Wilson (born August 31, 1982), known professionally as G. Willow Wilson, is an American comics writer, prose author, essayist, and journalist. She lived in Egypt during her early twenties; her first graphic novel, Cairo (Vertigo, 2007), was based in Egypt and was listed as a top graphic novel for teens by both the American Library Association and the School Library Journal. Her comic series Air was nominated for the Eisner Award, and her first novel, Alif the Unseen, won the 2013 World Fantasy Award.

Wilson is a Muslim and she writes Ms. Marvel, a comic series starring a 16-year-old Muslim shapeshifter superhero named Kamala Khan.

Early life

Wilson was born on August 31, 1982 in Morris County, New Jersey and spent the first ten years of her life there.[1] Her parents were atheists and thus Wilson was not raised in a religious household. Wilson first encountered comics when she read an anti-smoking pamphlet featuring the X-Men in the fifth grade. The characters fascinated her and she began watching the cartoon X-Men every Saturday.[2] Two years later she and her family moved to Boulder, Colorado where Wilson continued to pursue her interest in comics and other forms of popular culture such as tabletop role-playing games.

Conversion to Islam

Later in her life, Wilson attended Boston University to pursue a degree in history. During her sophomore year, Wilson began experiencing adrenal problems and the associated discomfort resulted in her studying a number of religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Wilson first considered converting to Judaism because she admired the idea of "the indivisible God who is one and whole, but "it was evangelical religion."[3] (It is possible this is a misquote for "it wasn't an evangelical religion," as Wilson said in a 2017 interview that Judaism “was a near perfect fit, but it was created for a single tribe of people.”[4]) After studying Judaism she focused on Islam, which appealed to her because "to become a Muslim is sort of a deal between you and God."[3] The 9/11 terrorist attack set back her religious studies – fearing she had misjudged the religion – but she later resumed her studies.[2]

In 2003, shortly before her graduation, Wilson agreed to teach English in Cairo. During the plane journey, Wilson converted to Islam; claiming she "made peace with God. I called him Allah.” Upon arrival in Cairo, Wilson openly practised Islam. She and her roommate resided in Tura, a district in Cairo, Egypt, and they initially had a difficult time purchasing food in their new environment. The pair soon met a physics teacher named Omar who offered to show them around and act as a cultural guide. Months later, Wilson and Omar became engaged.[3] Later, the couple moved to the United States with Wilson returning to her writing career, and Omar becoming a legal advocate for refugees.[5]

Career

After converting to Islam while attending Boston University, Wilson moved to Cairo, where she contributed articles to the Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and the National Post.[6] She was also a regular contributor to the now-defunct Egyptian opposition weekly Cairo Magazine. Wilson was the first Western journalist to be granted a private interview with Ali Gomaa after his promotion to the position of Grand Mufti of Egypt.[7] Additionally, Wilson released a memoir titled The Butterfly Mosque about life in Egypt during the Mubarak regime, which was named a Seattle Times Best Book of 2010.[8]

Wilson's writing career began from her work as a freelance music critic for DigBoston.[8] Her first graphic novel, Cairo, with art by M.K. Perker, was published by Vertigo in 2007,[6] and named one of the best graphic novels of 2007 by Publishers Weekly, The Edmonton Journal/CanWest News, and Comics Worth Reading.[9] The paperback edition of Cairo was named one of Best Graphic Novels for High School Students in 2008 by School Library Journal, and one of 2009's Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.[10]

Her first ongoing comic series, Air, launched by Vertigo in 2008[11][12] reunited her with Perker, and was nominated for an Eisner Award for 'Best New Series' of 2009.[13] NPR named Air one of the top comics of 2009,[14] and it also received acclaim from the Fairfield Weekly, Comic Book Resources,[15] Marie Claire,[16] and Library Journal.[17] Other works for DC include fill-in issues #704 and 706 of Superman, the five-issue mini-series Vixen: Return of the Lion, starring the Justice League member Vixen with art by CAFU,[18][19][20] and The Outsiders.

Wilson then wrote Mystic, a four-issue miniseries for Marvel Comics with art by David Lopez. Although a CrossGen revival, Willow's Mystic bears little resemblance to its previous incarnation.

Her debut novel Alif the Unseen (Grove/Atlantic) won the 2013 World Fantasy Award for best novel.[21][22][23]

In 2014, Marvel debuted a new Ms. Marvel series written by Wilson. The book stars Kamala Khan, a Muslim teenager living in Jersey City, New Jersey, who takes up the mantle after the previous Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, took up the name Captain Marvel.

Creating Kamala Khan

Wilson had already had a few forays into the comic book industry, having worked on titles such as Superman and Vixen previously.[24][25] She received an email for an interview with David Gabriel, a senior vice-president at Marvel Entertainment.[26] By that point Wilson was almost finished with her second novel, but she took the time to speak with him. Shortly thereafter she was offered to co-create a new version of Ms. Marvel named Kamala Khan alongside Sana Amanat, a director and editor at Marvel Entertainment. The process of crafting Kamala was detailed, both artists wished to create a teenage Muslim American girl. Before settling on her Pakistani heritage the two debated the idea of making her a Somali American girl.[27] While creating Kamala as a character the duo expected negativity, not just from people who were anti-Muslim, but also from Muslims who believed Kamala should be portrayed in a certain way.[28] The crafting also focused on smaller details, Wilson did not believe Kamala should have worn a hijab due to majority of teenage Muslim American girls not wearing them.[27] Despite their initial fears, Kamala was received positively. Some sources described her as easy to relate to, even likening her to a modern day Peter Parker.[29][30] Others even viewed Kamala as a symbol for equality and representation among different religions.[31]

Awards

Award Wins

  • 2012 – Middle East Book Award—Youth Literature[32] – ALIF
  • 2013 – Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award—Regional Book[33] – ALIF
  • 2013 – World Fantasy Award—Novel[34] – ALIF
  • 2014 – Broken Frontier Awards 2014 – Best Writer, Mainstream[35]
  • 2015 – Hugo Awards – Best Graphic Story[36]
  • 2016 – Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity – Ms. Marvel[37]

Nominations

  • 2009 – Eisner Awards: Best New Series, Air, by. G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)[38] (nomination)
  • 2012 – Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize—First Novel[39] (Finalist) – ALIF
  • 2013 – Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction—Fiction[40] (Nominee) – ALIF
  • 2013 – John W. Campbell Memorial Award—Novel[41] (Third Place) – ALIF
  • 2013 – Locus Award—First Novel[42] (Nominee) – ALIF
  • 2015 – Eisner Awards: Best New Series – Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona (Marvel)[43] (nomination)
  • 2015 – Eisner Awards: Best Writer[43] (nomination)
  • 2015 – Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity – Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona (Marvel)[44] (nomination)
  • 2015 – Harvey Awards: Best Writer[45] (nomination)
  • 2015 – Harvey Awards: Best New Series – MS. MARVEL[45] (nomination)
  • 2016 – Eisner Awards: Best Writer[46]

Bibliography

Comics

AiT/Planet Lar

  • Negative Burn vol. 2 #7–10, "Aces" (with Shannon Eric Denton and Curtis Square-Briggs collected in Aces: Curse Of The Red Baron (tpb, 112 pages, 2008 ISBN 1-932051-52-X)

DC Comics

  • The Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Metamorpho/Aquaman #1, "Rogue Elements" (with Joshua Middleton, August 2007) collected in Outsiders: Five of a Kind (tpb, 160 pages, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1672-2)
  • Vixen: Return of the Lion (limited series) (October 2008 – February 2009)
    • Vixen: Return of the Lion (tpb, 128 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2512-8) collects:
      • "Predators" (with CAFU, in #1, 2008)
      • "Prey" (with CAFU, in #2, 2008)
      • "Sanctuary" (with CAFU, in #3, 2008)
      • "Risen" (with CAFU, in #4, 2009)
      • "Idols" (with CAFU, in #5, 2009)
  • Superman #704, 706 (with Leandro Oliveira and Amilcar Pinna, 2010) collected in Superman: Grounded Vol. 1 (hc, 168 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3075-X)

Vertigo

  • Cairo (graphic novel, with M.K. Perker, hc, 160 pages, November 2007 ISBN 1-4012-1140-2)
  • Air (August 2008 – August 2010)
    • Volume 1: Letters from Lost Countries (tpb, 144 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2153-X) collects:
      • "Letters from Lost Countries" (with M.K. Perker, in #1–3, 2008)
      • "Masks and Other Memories" (with M.K. Perker, in #4, 2008)
      • "The Engine Room" (with M.K. Perker, in #5, 2008)
    • Volume 2: Flying Machine (tpb, 128 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2483-0) collects:
      • "The Secret Life of Maps" (with M.K. Perker, in #6, 2009)
      • "The Picture of Zayn al Harrani" (with M.K. Perker, in #7, 2009)
      • "Her Own Devices" (with M.K. Perker, in #8, 2009)
      • "Mass Transit" (with M.K. Perker, in #9, 2009)
      • "Place of the Egrets" (with M.K. Perker, in #10, 2009)
    • Volume 3: Pureland (tpb, 168 pages, 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2706-6) collects:
      • "Sweet as the Tongue" (with M.K. Perker, in #11, 2009)
      • "Pureland" (with M.K. Perker, in #12–14, 2009)
      • "Air Heart" (with M.K. Perker, in #15, 2009)
      • "Infinite Shades" (with M.K. Perker, in #16, 2009)
      • "The Picture of Blythe Alice Cameron" (with M.K. Perker, in #17, 2010)
    • Volume 4: A History of the Future (tpb, 168 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-2983-2) collects:
      • "Reveille" (with M.K. Perker, in #18, 2010)
      • "A History of the Future" (with M.K. Perker, in #19–21, 2010)
      • "Wild Blue Yonder" (with M.K. Perker, in #22, 2010)
      • "Dogfight!" (with M.K. Perker, in #23, 2010)
      • "The Last Horizon" (with M.K. Perker, in #24, 2010)
  • The Unexpected vol. 2, "Dogs" (anthology, with Robbi Rodríguez, October 2011) collected in The Unexpected (tpb, 160 pages, 2013, ISBN 1-4012-4394-0)

Marvel Comics

  • Girl Comics vol. 2 #1, "Moritat" (with Ming Doyle, March 2010)
  • Women of Marvel #1, "Thrones" (with Peter Nguyen, November 2010)
  • Mystic vol. 2 (4-issue limited series, with David López, August–November 2011, collected in The Tenth Apprentice, tpb, 96 pages, 2012, ISBN 0-7851-5608-9)
  • Ms. Marvel vol. 3 #1–19 (with Adrian Alphona, February 2014–October 2015)
    • Volume 1: No Normal (tpb, 120 pages, 2014, ISBN 0-7851-9021-X) collects:
      • "Garden State of Mind" (with Adrian Alphona, in All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.NOW, 2014)
      • "Meta Morphosis" (with Adrian Alphona, in #1, 2014)
      • "All Mankind" (with Adrian Alphona, in #2, 2014)
      • "Side Entrance" (with Adrian Alphona, in #3, 2014)
      • "Past Curfew" (with Adrian Alphona, in #4, 2014)
      • "Urban Legend" (with Adrian Alphona, in #5, 2014)
    • Volume 2: Generation Why (tpb, 136 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9022-8) collects:
      • "Healing Factor" (with Jake Wyatt, in #6–7, 2014)
      • "Generation Why" (with Adrian Alphona, in #8–11, 2014–2015)
    • Volume 3: Crushed (tpb, 112 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9227-1) collects:
      • "Loki in Love" (with Elmo Bondoc, in #12, 2015)
      • "Crushed" (with Takeshi Miyazawa, in #13–15, 2015)
    • Volume 4: Last Days (tpb, 120 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9736-2) collects:
      • "Last Days" (with Adrian Alphona, in #16–19, 2015)
  • Ms. Marvel vol. 4 #1-... (November 2015–present)
    • Volume 5: Super Famous (tpb, 136 pages, 2016, ISBN 0-7851-9611-0) collects:
      • "Super Famous" (with Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa, in #1–3, 2015–2016)
      • "Army of One" (with Nico Leon, in #4–6, 2016)
    • Volume 6: Civil War II (tpb, 136 pages, 2016, ISBN 0-7851-9612-9) collects:
      • "The Road to War" (with Adrian Alphona, in #7, 2016)
      • "Civil War II" (with Takeshi Miyazawa and Adrian Alphona, in #8-11, 2016)
      • "The Road to War" (with Mirka Andolfo, in #12, 2016)
    • Volume 7: Damage Per Second (tpb, 136 pages, 2017, ISBN 1-3029-0305-5) collects:
      • "Election Day" (with Mirka Andolfo, in #13, 2016)
      • "Damage Per Second" (with Takeshi Miyazawa, in #14-17, 2017)
      • "Meanwhile in Wakanda" (with Francesco Gaston, in #18, 2017)
  • X-Men vol. 4 #23–26 (January 2015–April 2015)
    • Volume 5: The Burning World (tpb, 96 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9726-5) collects:
      • "The Burning World" (with Roland Boschi, Javi Fernandez, in #23–26, 2015)
  • A-Force vol. 1 (5-issue limited series with Marguerite Bennett and Jorge Molina, May–October 2015, collected in Volume 0: Warzones!, tpb, 112 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9861-X)
  • A-Force vol. 2, #1–4 (January–April 2016)
    • Volume 1: Hypertime #1–4, Avengers #0 (with Jorge Molina and Kelly Thompson, tpb, 146 pages, 2016, ISBN 0-7851-9605-6)
  • All-New, All-Different Avengers Annual #1, "Internet Randos" (with Mahmud Asrar, August 2016)
  • Generations: Ms. Marvel #1 (with Paolo Villanelli, September 2017) collected in Generations (hc, 328 pages, 2017, ISBN 1-3029-0847-2)

Novels

  • The Butterfly Mosque (memoir, Grove Press, hardcover, June 2010, ISBN 1-84354-828-3; paperback, June 2011, ISBN 0-8021-4533-7)
  • Alif the Unseen, (Grove/Atlantic, July 2012)

References

  1. ↑ "G. Willow Wilson's New MS. MARVEL – Teen, Muslim, Jersey Girl, Fangirl!". Newsarama. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  2. 1 2 "Islam Sci-fi Interview of G. Willow Wilson (Part I)". Islam and Science Fiction. 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  3. 1 2 3 Wangsness, Lisa. "Beneath the veil". Boston.com. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  4. ↑ "The Writer Behind a Muslim Hero". www.newyorker.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  5. ↑ "Heart and Soul — Bostonia Fall 2010". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  6. 1 2 Newsarama.com
  7. ↑ "The Show-Me Sheikh". The Atlantic. 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  8. 1 2 "ACRL 2015 keynote speakers announced". American Library Association. 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  9. ↑ "Comicsworthreading.com". Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  10. ↑ "2009 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens". Young Adult Library Services Association. 2009. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
  11. ↑ Newsarama
  12. ↑ "G. Willow Wilson talks "Air"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  13. ↑ "2009 Eisner Award Nominees Named". Newsarama.com. 2009-04-07. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  14. ↑ Glen Weldon. "2009: The Comics That Clung : Monkey See". NPR. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  15. ↑ "Best 100 Comics of 2008: Master List". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  16. ↑ Sturtz, Rachel (2009-09-08). "Air by G. Willow Wilson – Graphic Novel Air Review". Marieclaire.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  17. ↑ "Libraryjournal.com". Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  18. ↑ "VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION #1". DC Comics. 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  19. ↑ "Talking to G. Willow Wilson – Air, Vixen and More". Newsarama.com. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  20. ↑ "G. Willow Wilson talks "Vixen"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  21. ↑ "Wfc2013.org". Archived from the original on August 3, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Announcing the 2013 World Fantasy Award Winners". Tor.com. 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  23. ↑ "Account Suspended". Aliftheunseen.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  24. ↑ "Wilson Gets Grounded on "Superman" #704". CBR. 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  25. ↑ "GCD :: Issue :: Vixen: Return of the Lion #1". www.comics.org. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  26. ↑ Tolentino, Jia (2017-04-29). "The Writer Behind a Muslim Marvel Superhero on Her Faith in Comics". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  27. 1 2 "Interview: G. Willow Wilson on Ms. Marvel and the Muslim-American Experience". Comics Bulletin. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  28. ↑ Gustines, George Gene (2013-11-05). "Marvel Comics Introducing a Muslim Girl Superhero". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  29. ↑ Berlatsky, Noah. "What Makes the Muslim Ms. Marvel Awesome: She's Just Like Everyone". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  30. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (2014-11-21). "Between the Panels: Why Ms. Marvel Is the New Spider-Man". IGN. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  31. ↑ "This Muslim-American superhero has become a real-world protest icon". Vox. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  32. ↑ "Middle East Book Award Winners Youth Literature". Fictiondb.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  33. ↑ "2013 Pacific Northwest Book Awards Announced". Nwbooklovers.org. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  34. ↑ "World Fantasy Awards – Complete Listing". Worldfantasy.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  35. ↑ Hautain, Frederik (2014-12-22). "Broken Frontier Awards 2014: Announcing the Winners, Women and Image Dominate – Broken Frontier". Brokenfrontier.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  36. ↑ Colin Dwyer (2015-08-23). "Hugo Awards: Amid A Hubbub At The Hugos, 'Puppies' See Little Success : The Two-Way". NPR. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  37. ↑ Comicsbeat.com
  38. ↑ "2009 Eisner Award Nominees Announced". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  39. ↑ "The Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize". Archived from the original on June 15, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  40. ↑ "BAILEYS Women's Prize for Fiction » WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION ANNOUNCES 2013 LONGLIST". Womensprizeforfiction.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  41. ↑ "John W. Campbell Memorial Award 2013". sfadb. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  42. ↑ "Locus Online News » 2013 Locus Awards Finalists". Locusmag.com. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  43. 1 2 "DC, Marvel & Fantagraphics Top 2014 Eisner Award Nominations". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  44. ↑ "'Ms. Marvel,' 'Shaft' among Dwayne McDuffie Diversity Award finalists | Hero Complex – movies, comics, pop culture – Los Angeles Times". Herocomplex.latimes.com. 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  45. 1 2 "2015 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  46. ↑ Comic-con.org Archived 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine.
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