Bio:

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Steven Underwood is an award-winning writer with a penchant for unveiling magic in the hypercritical. Honest to his experiences, Underwood has published essays on Blackness and identity. Steven was a finalist for Le Maison Baldwin’s Writers-in-Residence Program. He has no dogs or cats, but two nieces and a nephew who swear they are smarter than him.

His non-fiction work has been published in numerous outlets, including Oprah, NPR, Essence, MTV News, Blavity, NewNowNext, BET, GQ, Out Magazine, AfroPunk, Complex, Refinery29, Them, and many, many more.

A massive piece of his heart though, is in writing fiction. Specifically, fantasy.

His viral article for Tor.com, Will Fantasy Ever Let Black Boys Like Me Be Magic?, published back in 2020, absolutely showcases this. And his current work (as seen below) is focusing on breaking into similar spaces that are seldomly supportive of Black voices.

His debut, FOREVER FOR THE CULTURE: NOTES FROM THE NEW DIGITAL BLACK ART RENASSANCE will be publish with Beacon Press in Fall 2025, while his first Young Adult novel, SUNDIATA, will publish with Macmillan’s Feiwel and Friends in Spring 2025.

Steven’s a star on the rise, and eager to continue building his literary catalogue.