David Anthony Durham

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-09-07

David Anthony Durham is an American novelist born in New York City to parents of Caribbean heritage. He earned an MFA from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1996 and has lived for extended periods in Scotland; before his writing career he worked as an Outward Bound instructor and whitewater rafting guide. Durham has held numerous academic teaching positions, including faculty roles at the University of Maryland and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a term as MacLean Distinguished Visiting Writer at Colorado College, and an associate professorship at California State University, Fresno; he currently teaches in the Stonecoast MFA program in creative writing. He began his career with historical fiction, including Gabriel's Story and Pride of Carthage, a novel centered on the Carthaginian general Hannibal, both of which were named New York Times Notable Books and received recognition from the American Library Association, with translations into eight languages. Durham is best known within fantasy circles for the Acacia Trilogy—The War with the Mein (2007), The Other Lands (2009), and The Sacred Band (2011)—an epic fantasy notable for centering characters and empires inspired by African and Afro-Caribbean history and culture rather than conventional European fantasy settings, and for its unflinching engagement with themes of slavery, empire, and generational trauma. His accolades include the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Fiction Award, the 2002 Legacy Award for Debut Fiction, and the 2009 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, recognizing his transition into science fiction and fantasy.

Universe(s)

Books

• Acacia: The War with the Mein (2007) · Acacia Core Canon
• The Other Lands (2009) · Acacia Core Canon
• The Sacred Band (2011) · Acacia Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 3 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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