Claire Vaye Watkins is an award-winning American author and academic known for her evocative depictions of the American West. Her debut short story collection, "Battleborn," earned widespread critical acclaim, winning the Story Prize, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, among other honors. The collection was also named a best book of 2012 by publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle and NPR.org. In recognition of her early literary achievements, Watkins was selected as one of the National Book Foundation’s "5 Under 35" authors in 2012.
Born in Bishop, California, and raised in the Mojave Desert, Watkins draws heavily from her upbringing in Nevada and California in her writing. She holds an MFA from Ohio State University and has contributed stories and essays to prestigious publications including Granta, The Paris Review, and the New York Times. Currently a visiting assistant professor at Princeton University, she co-directs the Mojave School, a free creative writing workshop for rural Nevada teenagers. Her work continues to explore themes of place, identity, and resilience with a distinctive literary voice.