G. Willow Wilson Biography

G. Willow Wilson (born August 31, 1982) 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 there 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 herself Muslim, and released Ms. Marvel, a comic series starring a 16-year-old Muslim shapeshifter superhero named Kamala Khan.

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. 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. 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.

Wilson's writing career began from her work as a freelance music critic for DigBoston. Her first graphic novel, Cairo, with art by M.K. Perker, was published by Vertigo in 2007, and named one of the best graphic novels of 2007 by Publishers Weekly, The Edmonton Journal/CanWest News, and Comics Worth Reading. 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.

Her first ongoing comic series, Air, launched by Vertigo in 2008 reunited her with Perker, and was nominated for an Eisner Award for 'Best New Series' of 2009. NPR named Air one of the top comics of 2009, and received acclaim from the Fairfield Weekly, Comic Book Resources, Marie Claire, and Library Journal. 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, 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.

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.

Bibliography

• "Aces" (with co-author Shannon Eric Denton and art by Curtis Square-Briggs, in Negative Burn #7-10, 2006-2007; collected by AiT/PlanetLar July 2008, ISBN 1-932051-52-X)
• The Outsiders: "Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman" (art by Josh Middleton, one-shot, DC Comics, 2007; collected in Outsiders: Five of a Kind, 160 pages, March 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1672-2)
• Cairo (with art by M.K. Perker, original graphic novel, 160 pages, Vertigo, hardcover, November 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1140-2; paperback, September 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1734-6)
• Air (with art by M.K. Perker, ongoing series, Vertigo, 2008-2010)
• Vixen: Return of the Lion (with Cafu, 5-issue mini-series, DC Comics, October 2008)
• The Butterfly Mosque (memoir, Grove Press, hardcover, June 2010, ISBN 1-84354-828-3; paperback, June 2011, ISBN 0-8021-4533-7)
• Superman#706, 707 (with art by Amilcar Pinna, fill-in issues, DC Comics, December 2010, January 2011; collected in "Superman: Grounded. Vol. 1", 168 pages, August 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3075-X)
• Mystic (with art by David Lopez, 4-issue miniseries, Marvel Comics, October 2011-January 2012)
• Alif the Unseen, (Grove/Atlantic, July 2012)
• Ms. Marvel (with Adrian Alphona; Marvel Comics, February 2014-ongoing)