Alaya Dawn Johnson

Alaya Dawn Johnson is a highly acclaimed author of science fiction and fantasy. She has a deep interest in speculative and historical fiction, and enjoys diverse ethnic foods, particularly South Indian cuisine. Her educational background includes a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University.

She has written seven novels for adults and young adults and is the recipient of multiple awards for her work. Her most recent novel for adults, Trouble the Saints, won the 2021 World Fantasy Award for best novel. Johnson's debut short story collection, Reconstruction, was a finalist for both the Ignyte Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Her young adult novels have also received critical acclaim, with The Summer Prince being longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and Love Is the Drug winning the Andre Norton Nebula Award. Johnson's short stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies, including the title story in The Memory Librarian, a collaboration with Janelle Monáe. Despite living in New York City at the time of her graduation in 2004, as of now, she resides in Oaxaca, Mexico.