Dwight Okita

Poet, Fiction Writer

Chicago, IL
Illinois US
Email: 
dwightokita@gmail.com
Website: 
www.dwightokita.com

Author's Bio

I've published a book a poems, Crossing with the Light (Tia Chucha Press).  My two speculative novels include The Prospect of My Arrival and The Hope Store.  Prospect was a top three finalist in the Amazon Breakthough Novel Awards out of 5,000 books. Hope Store is also available as an audiobook and got me named An Author to Watch by Best Indie Book Awards.

I'm currently finishing a book, THE INVENTION OF FIREFLIES: A memoir of the magical & the monstrous.

Writers Retreats: 
Ragdale

Publications & Prizes

Fiction

Journal:
Asian Pacific American Journal

Poetry

Anthologies:
Norton Introduction to Literature (Norton, 2002)
,
Asian Ameican Drama (Applause Books, 2000)
Book:
Crossing With the Light (Tia Chucha Press, 1992)
Journal:
Another Chicago Magazine
Prizes won: 

Top Three Finalist, Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards for THE PROSPECT OF MY ARRIVAL. Illinois Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry.  Joseph Jefferson Citation for outstanding new play for The Radiance of a Thousand Suns, a collaborative work. "An Author to Watch" for THE HOPE STORE by Best Indie Book Awards.  Participated in the HBO New Writers Workshop for plays.

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Kurt Vonnegut, Karen Thompson Walker, Haruki Murakami,Tiphanie Yanique, Carmen Maria Machado, Paul Kalanithi, Etgar Keret, Carolyn Forche, Tony Kushner, Chris Cleave.
What I'm reading now: 
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
Asian American, LGBTQ
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Chicago
Raised in: 
Chicago, IL
Illinois
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jan 28, 2022