Our Authors

Naomi Eselojor is a speculative fiction writer from Nigeria and a global talent migrant endorsed by the Arts Council England for her contributions to Africanfuturism. She is the recipient of the 2023 Utopian Award for Short Fiction and the 2024 Wilson Okereke Prize for Short Stories, and has also been a finalist for the Nommo Award as well as nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Ako Caine Prize, and Utopian Awards. Naomi’s works have appeared in Afrofuturism Short Stories, African Ghost Short Stories, 2022 Best of Utopian Speculative Fiction, Omenana Magazine, Lolwe, Hexagon Magazine, Dark Matter Magazine, and elsewhere. Among other programs, Naomi is an alum of Milford Writer’s Workshop, the Voodoonauts Fellowship, and served as a Sprinng mentor in 2024 and 2025. She is currently one of the instructors at Spread the Word’s Developing Tutors 2025/2026 and resides in the United Kingdom. 

Errick Nunnally was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He served one tour in the Marine Corps before deciding art school would be a safer—and more natural—pursuit. He is permanently distracted by art, comics, science fiction, history, and horror. Trained as a graphic designer, he has earned a black belt in Krav Maga/Muay Thai kickboxing after dark. Errick’s work includes: the novels, The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile, Blood for the Sun, and Lightning Wears a Red Cape; Lost in Transition, a comic strip collection; a number of short stories; and first prize in one hamburger contest. Eventually, Errick came to his senses and moved to Rhode Island with his two lovely children and one beautiful wife.

Mercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist. She is the author of numerous works including Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales, Darling, the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, Pretty Little Dead Girls, Detritus in Love,and Nameless. She won the Bram Stoker Award for her stories Little Dead Red and “Fracture.” Mercedes lives and works in Las Vegas. You can find her at mercedesmyardley.com. 

J.R. Blanes lives in Chicago with his wife and dog. His short fiction has been published in several anthologies, magazines, and podcasts such as Winter in the City, Tales to Terrify, The NoSleep Podcast, Thirteen, and Creepy, among others. In between bouts of writing and dog wrestling, he plays bass guitar and records music. Portraits of Decay is his debut novel.