Fantasy and science fiction writer N.K. Jemisin is the author of three critically-acclaimed and best-selling series, including the Dreamblood duology.

She’s the first black author to win the prestigious Hugo award for science fiction writing. The honor did not come easily. Her work has been the target of a group set on preventing women, people of color and LGBT writers from steering the genre in a new direction. Despite the effort, Jemisin’s book The Fifth Season won the 2015 Hugo award for best novel.

Morning Shift spoke with Jemisin about being at the forefront of a conversation about race and diversity in sci-fi and fantasy fiction.