Alix E. Harrow

{{short description|American science fiction and fantasy writer}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Alix E. Harrow

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|11|9}}

| birth_place = Idaho, United States

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Writer, professor

| genre = Science fiction, speculative fiction

| years_active = 2014–present

| education = Berea College (BA)
University of Vermont (MA)

| website = {{URL|https://alixeharrow.wixsite.com/author}}

| awards = HugoShort Story (2019)
BFA–Fantasy Novel (2021)

| notable_works = "A Witch's Guide to Escape" (2018)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019)

}}

Alix E. Harrow (born November 9, 1989) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her short fiction work "A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies" has been nominated for the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, and Locus Award, and in 2019 won a Hugo Award. Her debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019), was widely acclaimed by mainstream critics, lauded by general audiences during voting at Goodreads Choice Awards and Locus Awards, and nominated for multiple first novel literary awards and speculative fiction awards. She has also published under the name Alix Heintzman.

Life and career

Alix E. Harrow was born on November 9, 1989, in the United States and grew up in Kentucky.{{Cite web |last=locusmag |date=2021-01-18 |title=Alix E. Harrow: Questions of Power |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/01/alix-e-harrow-questions-of-power/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}} She enrolled at Berea College at age sixteen, where she completed a bachelor's degree in history in three years.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-02|title=Alix Harrow '09 Makes Literary History|url=https://www.berea.edu/give/2020/10/02/alix-harrow/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Give to Berea|language=en-US}} She then went on to earn a master's degree in history from the University of Vermont. Before working as a full-time writer, Harrow was an academic historian who taught as an adjunct professor of African and African American history at Eastern Kentucky University.{{cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Joel |date=2019-09-06 |title=In Which Alix E. Harrow Is Interviewed by Her Husband About The Ten Thousand Doors of January |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/in-which-alix-e-harrow-is-interviewed-by-her-husband-about-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january/ |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=The B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog}}{{cite web |date=2019-09-05 |title=Interview With an Author: Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-alix-e-harrow |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=Los Angeles Public Library}}{{cite web |last=Rocket |first=Stubby the |date=2019-09-13 |title=Highlights from Alix E. Harrow's r/Books AMA |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/09/13/highlights-from-alix-e-harrow-ama/ |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=Tor.com}}{{cite web |date=2018-02-08 |title=Interview with Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.apex-magazine.com/interview-with-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=Apex Magazine}}{{cite web |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |date=2015-07-29 |title=Galapagos Regained by James Morrow |url=http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/galapagos-regained-by-james-morrow/ |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=Strange Horizons}}{{cite web |title=About Me – Alix Heintzman |url=https://aheintzmandesign.wordpress.com/about/ |access-date=2019-10-05 |website=Alix Heintzman – Instructional Design Portfolio}}

Her first novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019), was received with critical acclaim and nominated for multiple awards, including the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award for best novel.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-07|title=2020 Hugo Awards|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=The Hugo Awards|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|last2=|first2=|last3=|first3=|last4=|first4=|last5=|first5=|last6=|first6=|date=|title=Nebula Awards Nominees and Winners: Best Novel Nebula Awards|url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award/best-novel/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-01|website=The Nebula Awards|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=World Fantasy Awards 2020, World Fantasy Convention|url=http://www.worldfantasy.org/world-fantasy-awards%e2%84%a0-2020/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=World Fantasy Convention|language=en-US}} A second novel, The Once and Future Witches (2020), won a British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award).{{Cite web |title=British Fantasy Awards 2021: winners announced {{!}} The British Fantasy Society |url=https://www.britishfantasysociety.org/british-fantasy-awards/british-fantasy-awards-2021-winners-announced/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=www.britishfantasysociety.org |archive-date=2022-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619143716/https://www.britishfantasysociety.org/british-fantasy-awards/british-fantasy-awards-2021-winners-announced/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=locusmag |date=2021-09-27 |title=2021 British Fantasy Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/09/2021-british-fantasy-awards-winners/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=British Fantasy Award Winners |url=https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/8100-british-fantasy-award |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=www.goodreads.com}} A more recent novella, A Spindle Splintered (2021), was nominated for a Hugo Award for best novella.

Harrow has also written short fiction for Shimmer Magazine, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, and Apex Magazine. This has produced a Hugo Award–winning 2018 short story called "A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies" (published by Apex).

Harrow lives in Virginia.{{cite web |date=September 8, 2021 |title=Return to the Multiverse of Fairy Tales: Revealing a Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/09/08/cover-reveals-a-mirror-mended-by-alix-e-harrow/#more-660018 |website=Tor.com}}

Awards

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Nominee

!Award

!Category

!Result

!Ref

rowspan="9" |2019

| rowspan="6" |"A Witch's Guide to Escape"

|Eugie Award

|—

| {{Sho|Finalist}}

|

Hugo Award

|Short Story

| {{won}}

|{{Cite web |title=Alix E. Harrow Awards |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Alix_E_Harrow |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=SFADB}}

Locus Award

|Short Story

|{{Nominated|Nominated—6th}}

|

Nebula Award

|Short Story

| {{Sho}}

|

World Fantasy Award

|Short Fiction

| {{Sho}}

|

WSFA Small Press Award

|—

| {{Sho}}

|

rowspan="15" |The Ten Thousand Doors of January

| rowspan="2" |Goodreads Choice Awards

|Debut

|{{Nominated|Nominated—4th}}

|{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Debut Novel! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-debut-novel-2019 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Goodreads}}

Favorite Fantasy Novel|Fantasy

|{{Nominated|Nominated—11th}}

|{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2019 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Goodreads}}

Nebula Award

|Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

rowspan="14" |2020

| rowspan="2" |Audie Award

|Fantasy

|{{Won}}

|{{Cite web |title=AudioFile, Discover the World of Audiobooks |url=https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/audies/2020/?category=Fantasy&winners=true |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=AudioFile Magazine |language=en}}

Female Narration

|{{Sho}}

|{{Cite web |title=AudioFile, Discover the World of Audiobooks |url=https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/audies/2020/?category=Best%20Female%20Narrator&winners=false |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=AudioFile Magazine |language=en}}

rowspan="2" |BFA

|Fantasy Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

Newcomer

| {{Sho}}

|

Compton Crook Award

|—

| {{Sho}}

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-04-13 |title=Martine Wins Compton Crook Award |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/04/martine-wins-compton-crook-award/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}

Crawford Award

|—

|{{Sho}}

|{{Cite web |title=2020 IAFA Crawford Award and Shortlist Announced |url=https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/2020-iafa-crawford-award-and-shortlist-announced/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts |language=en-US}}

Dragon Awards

|Science Fiction Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

Hugo Award

|Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

Kitschies

|Golden Tentacle (Debut)

|{{Sho}}

|

Locus Award

|First Novel

|{{Nominated|Nominated—3rd}}

|

Mythopoeic Awards

|Adult Literature

| {{Sho}}

|

World Fantasy Award

|Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

"Do Not Look Back, My Lion"

|Hugo Award

|Short Story

| {{Sho}}

|

rowspan="4" |The Once and Future Witches

|Goodreads Choice Awards

|Fantasy

{{Nominated|Nominated—6th}}

|{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2020 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Goodreads}}

rowspan="5" |2021

|BFA

|Fantasy Novel

| {{won}}

|

Dragon Awards

|Fantasy Novel

| {{Sho}}

|

Locus Award

|Fantasy Novel

|{{Nominated|Nominated—5th}}

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-05-01 |title=2021 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/05/2021-locus-awards-top-ten-finalists/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}

rowspan="2" |"The Sycamore and the Sybil"

|Eugie Award

|—

| {{Sho|Finalist}}

|

Locus Award

|Short Story

|{{Nominated|Nominated—6th}}

|

rowspan="6" |2022

| rowspan="3" |A Spindle Splintered

|BFA

|Novella

| {{Sho}}

|

Hugo Award

|Novella

| {{Sho}}

|

Locus Award

|Novella

|{{Nominated|Nominated—4th}}

|

rowspan="3" |"Mr. Death"

|Hugo Award

|Short Story

| {{Sho}}

|

Locus Award

|Short Story

|{{Nominated|Nominated—2nd}}

|

Nebula Award

|Short Story

| {{Sho}}

|

rowspan="4" | 2023

| rowspan="3" | A Mirror Mended

| Hugo Award || Novella || {{Sho}}

|{{Cite web |date=2023-07-06 |title=2023 Hugo Awards |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2023-hugo-awards/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=The Hugo Award |language=en-US}}

Locus AwardNovella{{nom}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-06-25 |title=2023 Locus Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2023/06/2023-locus-awards-winners/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}
Southern Book PrizeFiction{{sho}}{{Cite web |title=2023 Southern Book Prize Finalists |url=https://sibaweb.com/blogpost/1157249/480607/2023-Southern-Book-Prize-Finalists |website=Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance}}
rowspan=7| Starling House

|Goodreads Choice Awards

|Fantasy

{{Nominated|Nominated—9th}}

|{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2023 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Goodreads}}

rowspan=6 | 2024

|Audie Awards|| Fantasy|| {{sho}} || {{Cite web |title=2024 Audie Awards Winners |url=https://www.audiopub.org/2024audieawards-winners/#fantasy |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Homepage |language=en-US}}

Locus AwardHorror Novel{{nom|Nominated—3rd }}{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-06-23 |title=2024 Locus Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2024/06/2024-locus-awards-winners/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US}}
RUSA CODES Reading ListFantasy{{sho}}{{Cite web |date=2024-01-20 |title=2024 Reading List: Year's best in genre fiction for adult Readers |url=https://rusaupdate.org/2024/01/2024-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=RUSA Update |language=en-US}}
Southern Book PrizeFiction{{sho}}{{Cite web |title=Southern Book Prize Finalists |url=https://sibaweb.com/blogpost/1157249/495115/2024-Southern-Book-Prize-Finalists |website=Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance}}
Virginia Literary AwardsPeople's Choice (Fiction){{sho}}{{Cite web |title=Library of Virginia Annual Peoples Choice Awards |url=https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/peoples-choice-award.php |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Library of Virginia}}
World Fantasy AwardNovel{{sho}}{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Vanessa |date=2024-10-24 |title=Here Are the 2024 World Fantasy Award Winners |url=https://reactormag.com/here-are-the-2024-world-fantasy-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Reactor |language=en-US}}

Bibliography

= Novels =

  • {{cite book |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |title=The Ten Thousand Doors of January |publisher=Redhook |year=2019 |isbn=9780316421997 |author-mask=2}}{{Cite web |title=Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/09/10/book-reviews-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january-by-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Tor.com}}
  • {{cite book |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |title=The Once and Future Witches |publisher=Redhook |year=2020 |isbn=9780316422048 |author-mask=2}}{{Cite web |title=Review: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2020/10/13/book-reviews-the-once-and-future-witches-by-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Tor.com}}
  • {{cite book |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |title=Starling House |publisher=Tor Books |year=2023 |isbn=9781250765369 |author-mask=2}}{{Cite web |title=Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2023/05/23/book-reviews-starling-house-by-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Tor.com}}

= ''[[Fractured Fables]]'' series =

Novellas

  • {{cite book |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |title=A Spindle Splintered |publisher=Tordotcom |year=2021 |isbn=9781250765352 |author-mask=2}}{{Cite web |title=Review: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/10/05/book-reviews-a-spindle-splintered-by-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Tor.com}}
  • {{cite book |last=Harrow |first=Alix E. |title=A Mirror Mended |publisher=Tordotcom |year=2022 |isbn=9781250766649 |author-mask=2}}{{Cite web |title=Review: A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.tor.com/2022/06/14/book-reviews-a-mirror-mended-by-alix-e-harrow/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Tor.com|date=18 July 2022 }}

=Short fiction=

  • "A Whisper in the Weld" (2014)
  • "The Animal Women" (2015)
  • "Dustbaby" (2015)
  • "The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage" (2016)
  • "Patience and Not-Forsaken" (2016)
  • "A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies" (2018)
  • "Do Not Look Back, My Lion" (2019)
  • "The Sycamore and the Sybil" (2020)
  • "Mr. Death" (2021)
  • "The Long Way Up" (2022){{Cite web|url=https://thedeadlands.com/issue-09/the-long-way-up/|title=The Long Way Up, by Alix E. Harrow - The Deadlands|date=January 31, 2022}}
  • "The Six Deaths of the Saint" (2022)
  • "The Knight and the Butcherbird" (2025)

References

{{Reflist}}