Jean-Oneli “Nelly” Blaise

Jean-Oneli “Nelly” Blaise is a Caribbean author, creative entrepreneur, researcher, and storyteller from St. Maarten whose work explores the intersection of African history, Indigenous knowledge, mythology, technology, and identity. Through literature, virtual reality, film, games, and education, he is committed to reshaping how the African Diaspora tells its own stories.

His debut graphic novel, Kushobi Origins (2020), introduced readers to an Afrofuturistic universe inspired by the science of African and Indigenous civilizations, Egyptian mythology, the history of the Benin Kingdom, Vodun philosophy, and Japanese-inspired visual storytelling.