Tananarive Due is an American author and educator born in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 5, 1966. She has received significant acclaim for her work, including the American Book Award for "The Living Blood" and multiple Bram Stoker Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and World Fantasy Awards for "The Reformatory." Due's writing often explores the supernatural genre. Beyond her fiction, she is recognized as a film historian specializing in Black horror. She developed and teaches a UCLA course titled "The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival and the Black Horror Aesthetic," which examines themes in Jordan Peele's film "Get Out." Her parents were prominent civil rights activists, influencing her background.

Due holds degrees in journalism from Northwestern University and English literature from the University of Leeds. She began her career as a journalist for the Miami Herald before publishing her first supernatural novel, "The Between," in 1995. Her bibliography includes historical novels, non-fiction works on civil rights, and contributions to collaborative projects. She is also part of the affiliate faculty in Antioch University Los Angeles's creative writing MFA program and holds an endowed chair at Spelman College. Due was featured in the documentary "Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror." She is married to author Steven Barnes, and they reside in the Los Angeles area.

Tananarive Due is celebrated for her contributions to supernatural fiction and her deep engagement with the horror genre, particularly from a Black perspective. Her novel "The Living Blood" earned her the American Book Award, while "The Reformatory" garnered prestigious accolades such as the Bram Stoker Award, Shirley Jackson Award, and World Fantasy Award. These works, along with others like "The Between" and the "African Immortals" series, often delve into the mystical and the uncanny, exploring themes that resonate with the darker, more speculative aspects of human experience. Due's ability to weave intricate narratives within these genres has established her as a significant voice in contemporary literature, pushing the boundaries of what supernatural and horror fiction can encompass.

Beyond her creative writing, Tananarive Due is a respected educator and film historian with a specialized focus on Black horror. Her academic pursuits have led her to develop and teach a unique course at UCLA, "The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival and the Black Horror Aesthetic." This course, inspired by Jordan Peele's film "Get Out," critically examines the intersection of race, survival, and the evolution of horror narratives within the Black community. Due's expertise in this area is further highlighted by her appearance in the documentary "Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror." Her scholarly work complements her fiction, providing a critical lens through which to understand the cultural and historical significance of Black representation in horror.

Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Tananarive Due's upbringing was profoundly shaped by her parents, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due and civil rights lawyer John D. Due Jr. This background in activism and social justice has undeniably informed her perspective and potentially her storytelling. Her mother named her after the capital of Madagascar, hinting at an early connection to broader global influences. Due's academic journey included journalism studies at Northwestern University and English literature, with a focus on Nigerian literature, at the University of Leeds, equipping her with a diverse intellectual foundation that supports her multifaceted career as an author and scholar.