Amal El-Mohtar

{{Infobox writer

| name = Amal El-Mohtar

| image = File:Amal El-Mohtar.jpg

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| caption = El-Mohtar in 2017

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1984|12|13}}

| birth_place = Ottawa, Canada

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| occupation = Writer

| language = English

| nationality = Canadian

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| genre = Science fiction, fantasy

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| notablework = This Is How You Lose the Time War

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| awards = Hugo Award for Best Short Story (2017)
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2020)
Nebula Award for Best Short Story (2017)
Nebula Award for Best Novella (2020)
Locus Award for Best Short Story (2015, 2017)
Locus Award for Best Novella (2020)

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Amal El-Mohtar (born 13 December 1984{{cite web |date=10 February 2020 |title=Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: Letter Space |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/02/amal-el-mohtar-max-gladstone-letter-space/ |access-date=21 July 2020 |website=Locus}}) is a Canadian poet and writer of speculative fiction.{{cite news|last1=McDermott|first1=J. M.|title=Nebula Awards Interview: Amal El-Mohtar|url=https://www.sfwa.org/2011/10/nebula-awards-interview-amal-el-mohtar/|access-date=28 June 2015|date=November 2011}} She is the editor of Goblin Fruit and reviews science fiction and fantasy books for the New York Times Book Review and is best known for the 2019 novella This Is How You Lose the Time War, co-written with Max Gladstone, which won the 2019 Nebula Award for Best Novella,[https://nebulas.sfwa.org/2019-nebula-award-finalists-announced/ 2019 Nebula Award Finalists Announced] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220172829/https://nebulas.sfwa.org/2019-nebula-award-finalists-announced/|date=2020-02-20}}, at Science Fiction Writers of America, published February 20, 2020; retrieved February 20, 2020{{cite web |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=2020-05-30 |title=Announcing the 2019 Nebula Awards Winners! |url=https://www.tor.com/2020/05/30/2019-nebula-award-winners-sarah-pinsker-amal-el-mohtar-max-gladstone/#more-589394 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120094230/https://www.tor.com/2020/05/30/2019-nebula-award-winners-sarah-pinsker-amal-el-mohtar-max-gladstone/#more-589394 |archive-date=2021-01-20 |access-date=2020-05-31 |publisher=Tor.com}} the 2020 Locus Award for Best Novella, the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella,[http://www.thehugoawards.org/2020/08/2020-hugo-awards-announced/ 2020 Hugo Awards Announced] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817215204/http://www.thehugoawards.org/2020/08/2020-hugo-awards-announced/|date=2020-08-17}}, at The Hugo Awards; retrieved August 1, 2020 and several other awards.

Writing career

She has published short fiction, poetry, essays and reviews, and has edited the fantastic poetry quarterly magazine Goblin Fruit since 2006.{{cite interview |last=El-Mohtar |first=Amal |interviewer=Diane Severson Mori |title=Interview: Amal El-Mohtar |url=http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2013/10/interview-amal-el-mohtar/ |access-date=20 October 2015 |work=Amazing Stories |date=25 October 2013}}

El-Mohtar began reviewing science fiction and fantasy books for the New York Times Book Review in February 2018.{{cite news |date=29 January 2018 |title=Amal El-Mohtar Replaces N.K. Jemisin as The New York Times Book Review's Otherworldly Columnist |url=https://www.tor.com/2018/01/29/amal-el-mohtar-replaces-n-k-jemisin-as-the-new-york-times-book-reviews-otherworldly-columnist/ |access-date=29 January 2018 |work=Tor.com}} She has worked as a creative writing instructor at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. In 2018, she also served as a host on Brandon Sanderson's creative writing podcast Writing Excuses for Season 13.Writing Excuses podcast hosts https://writingexcuses.com/about-2/

Awards and honors

Selected awards:

class="wikitable" ! style="min-width: 10em" \|Award{{efn\|Awards are listed in alphabetical order.}} ! Category ! Work ! style="min-width: 8em" \| Result ! Ref.
style="font-weight: normal" \| Aurora Award \| Short fiction \| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn\|name=gladstone\|With her co-author Max Gladstone.}} \| {{Won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{Cite web \|last=The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA) \|title=2020 Aurora Awards \|url=https://www.csffa.ca/aurora-archives-home/2020-aurora-awards/ \|access-date=2023-12-08 \|language=en-CA}}
style="font-weight: normal" \| BSFA Award \|Shorter fiction \|This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn\|name=gladstone\|With her co-author Max Gladstone.}} \| {{Won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{Cite web \|last=editors \|first=Vector \|date=2020-05-19 \|title=2019 BSFA Award winners \|url=https://vector-bsfa.com/2020/05/19/2019-bsfa-award-winners/ \|access-date=2024-11-21 \|language=en}}
rowspan="2" style="font-weight: normal" \| Hugo Award \| Novella \| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn\|name=gladstone}} \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \|
Short story \| "Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016) \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite web \|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2017-hugo-awards/ \|title=2017 Hugo Awards \|website=The Hugo Awards \|date=31 December 2016 \|access-date=11 August 2017}}{{cite news \| url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-writers-fairy-tale-mashup-wins-prestigious-hugo-award-for-science-fiction \| title=Ottawa writer's 'fairy-tale mashup' wins prestigious Hugo Award for science-fiction \| first=Olivia \| last=Blackmore \| newspaper=Ottawa Citizen \| date=15 August 2017 \| access-date=5 February 2018}}
style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=4 \| Locus Award \| Novella \| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn\|name=gladstone}} \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \|
rowspan=3 \| Short story \| "The Truth About Owls" (2014) \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite news\|title=2015 Locus Awards Winners\|url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2015/06/2015-locus-awards-winners/\|access-date=28 June 2015\|work=Locus\|date=27 June 2015}}
"Madeleine" (2015) \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite web \|url=http://www.sfadb.com/Amal_El-Mohtar \|title=Amal El-Mohtar Awards \|work=Science Fiction Awards Database \|publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation \|access-date=13 August 2021}}
"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016) \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite news\|title=2015 Locus Awards Winners\|url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/06/do-not-touch-2017-locus-awards-winners/\|access-date=27 June 2017\|work=Locus\|date=27 June 2017}}
style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=4 \| Nebula Award \| Novella \| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn\|name=gladstone}} \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{Cite web\|url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/2019-nebula-award-finalists-announced/\|title=2019 Nebula Award Finalists Announced\|date=2020-02-20\|website=The Nebula Awards®\|publisher=Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America\|language=en-US\|access-date=2020-02-22}}{{cite web \|publisher=Tor.com \|title=Announcing the 2019 Nebula Awards Winners! \|last=Liptak \|first=Andrew \|date=2020-05-30 \|access-date=2020-05-31 \|url=https://www.tor.com/2020/05/30/2019-nebula-award-winners-sarah-pinsker-amal-el-mohtar-max-gladstone/#more-589394 }}
rowspan=3 \| Short story \| "The Green Book" (2010) \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite news\|title=SFWA announces the 2010 Nebula Award Nominees\|url=http://www.sfwa.org/2011/02/2010-nebula-nominees/\|access-date=28 June 2015\|date=22 February 2011}}
"Madeleine" (2015) \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{Cite web\|url = http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/\|title = Nebula Awards\|website = SFWA\| date=25 November 2009 \|access-date = 18 June 2016}}
"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016) \| {{won}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite news\|title=Announcing the 2016 Nebula Awards Winners\|url=http://www.tor.com/2017/05/20/announcing-the-2016-nebula-awards-winners/\|access-date=21 May 2017\|work=Tor.com\|date=21 May 2017}}
style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=2 \| World Fantasy Award \| rowspan=2 \| Short fiction \| "Pockets" (2015) \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite web \|url=http://www.sfadb.com/World_Fantasy_Awards_2016 \|title=World Fantasy Awards 2016 \|work=Science Fiction Awards Database \|publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation \|access-date=15 July 2016}}
"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016) \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align: center" \| {{cite web \|url=http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/nominees/ \|website=World Fantasy Convention \|title=Nominees \|access-date=7 September 2017}}

class="wikitable"

! style="min-width: 10em" |Award{{efn|Awards are listed in alphabetical order.}}

! Category

! Work

! style="min-width: 8em" | Result

! Ref.

style="font-weight: normal" | Aurora Award

| Short fiction

| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn|name=gladstone|With her co-author Max Gladstone.}}

| {{Won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{Cite web |last=The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA) |title=2020 Aurora Awards |url=https://www.csffa.ca/aurora-archives-home/2020-aurora-awards/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |language=en-CA}}

style="font-weight: normal" | BSFA Award

|Shorter fiction

|This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn|name=gladstone|With her co-author Max Gladstone.}}

| {{Won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{Cite web |last=editors |first=Vector |date=2020-05-19 |title=2019 BSFA Award winners |url=https://vector-bsfa.com/2020/05/19/2019-bsfa-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |language=en}}

rowspan="2" style="font-weight: normal" | Hugo Award

| Novella

| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn|name=gladstone}}

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" |

Short story

| "Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016)

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite web |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2017-hugo-awards/ |title=2017 Hugo Awards |website=The Hugo Awards |date=31 December 2016 |access-date=11 August 2017}}{{cite news | url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-writers-fairy-tale-mashup-wins-prestigious-hugo-award-for-science-fiction | title=Ottawa writer's 'fairy-tale mashup' wins prestigious Hugo Award for science-fiction | first=Olivia | last=Blackmore | newspaper=Ottawa Citizen | date=15 August 2017 | access-date=5 February 2018}}

style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=4 | Locus Award

| Novella

| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn|name=gladstone}}

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" |

rowspan=3 | Short story

| "The Truth About Owls" (2014)

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite news|title=2015 Locus Awards Winners|url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2015/06/2015-locus-awards-winners/|access-date=28 June 2015|work=Locus|date=27 June 2015}}

"Madeleine" (2015)

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Amal_El-Mohtar |title=Amal El-Mohtar Awards |work=Science Fiction Awards Database |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |access-date=13 August 2021}}

"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016)

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite news|title=2015 Locus Awards Winners|url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/06/do-not-touch-2017-locus-awards-winners/|access-date=27 June 2017|work=Locus|date=27 June 2017}}

style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=4 | Nebula Award

| Novella

| This Is How You Lose the Time War (2019){{efn|name=gladstone}}

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{Cite web|url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/2019-nebula-award-finalists-announced/|title=2019 Nebula Award Finalists Announced|date=2020-02-20|website=The Nebula Awards®|publisher=Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-22}}{{cite web |publisher=Tor.com |title=Announcing the 2019 Nebula Awards Winners! |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=2020-05-30 |access-date=2020-05-31 |url=https://www.tor.com/2020/05/30/2019-nebula-award-winners-sarah-pinsker-amal-el-mohtar-max-gladstone/#more-589394 }}

rowspan=3 | Short story

| "The Green Book" (2010)

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite news|title=SFWA announces the 2010 Nebula Award Nominees|url=http://www.sfwa.org/2011/02/2010-nebula-nominees/|access-date=28 June 2015|date=22 February 2011}}

"Madeleine" (2015)

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{Cite web|url = http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/|title = Nebula Awards|website = SFWA| date=25 November 2009 |access-date = 18 June 2016}}

"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016)

| {{won}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite news|title=Announcing the 2016 Nebula Awards Winners|url=http://www.tor.com/2017/05/20/announcing-the-2016-nebula-awards-winners/|access-date=21 May 2017|work=Tor.com|date=21 May 2017}}

style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=2 | World Fantasy Award

| rowspan=2 | Short fiction

| "Pockets" (2015)

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/World_Fantasy_Awards_2016 |title=World Fantasy Awards 2016 |work=Science Fiction Awards Database |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |access-date=15 July 2016}}

"Seasons of Glass and Iron" (2016)

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align: center" | {{cite web |url=http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/nominees/ |website=World Fantasy Convention |title=Nominees |access-date=7 September 2017}}

This Is How You Lose the Time War was also a finalist for the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award in the Novella category,{{cite web |title=Nominees Announced for the 2019 Shirley Jackson Awards |url=https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510023939/https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/ |archive-date=May 10, 2019 |access-date=April 28, 2022}} a finalist for the inaugural Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction at the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes,{{cite web |title=2019 Book Prize Winners & Finalists |url=https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprizes-2019/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717100848/https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprizes-2019/ |archive-date=2020-07-17 |access-date=2020-06-09 |work=Los Angeles Times}} and a finalist for the 2019 Kitschies in the Novel category.{{cite web |date=9 March 2020 |title=2019 Kitschies Shortlists |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/03/2019-kitschies-shortlists/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821101111/https://locusmag.com/2020/03/2019-kitschies-shortlists/ |archive-date=2021-08-21 |access-date=2020-06-09 |publisher=Locus}} It also achieved second place in the 2020 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.{{cite web |date=21 October 2020 |title=Suzanne Palmer Wins the 2020 Theodore Sturgeon Award |url=https://www.tor.com/2020/10/21/suzanne-palmer-wins-the-2020-theodore-sturgeon-award/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016222626/https://www.tor.com/2020/10/21/suzanne-palmer-wins-the-2020-theodore-sturgeon-award/ |archive-date=2022-10-16 |access-date=2022-10-12}} El-Mohtar announced in 2019 that the book has been optioned for television, with scripts to be written by herself and Gladstone.[https://www.cheryl-morgan.com/?page_id=26344 This is How You Lose the Time War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124185349/https://www.cheryl-morgan.com/?page_id=26344|date=2021-01-24}}, by Cheryl Morgan, at Cheryl-Morgan.com; retrieved October 27, 2019

El-Mohtar has also received the Rhysling Award for Best Short Poem in 2009, 2011 and 2014.{{cite news|title=SFPA Rhysling Award Archive |url=http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/rhysarchive.html |access-date=28 June 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829054625/http://sfpoetry.com/ra/rhysarchive.html |archive-date=29 August 2015 }}

File:Amal El-Mohtar, winner of the Best Short Story Hugo, at the Hugo Award Ceremony 2017 at Worldcon in Helsinki.jpg Ceremony 2017 at Worldcon in Helsinki]]

Personal life

El-Mohtar was born in Ottawa, Ontario to a family of Lebanese descent. She grew up in Ottawa with the exception of two years spent in Lebanon beginning when she was six years old.{{cite web |title=Amal El-Mohtar, Pocket Interview No. 3 |url=https://www.storyological.com/interviews/amal-el-mohtar |website=STORYOLOGICAL}}

She is married{{cite web |title=Landing Myself a Husband |url=https://amalelmohtar.com/2016/08/15/landing-myself-a-husband/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816035330/https://amalelmohtar.com/2016/08/15/landing-myself-a-husband/ |archive-date=2016-08-16 |access-date=5 November 2022 |website=Amal El-Mohtar}} and lives in Ottawa.{{cite web |title=Worldcon 2019 Schedule |url=https://amalelmohtar.com/2019/07/29/worldcon-2019-schedule/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306105610/https://amalelmohtar.com/2019/07/29/worldcon-2019-schedule/ |archive-date=6 March 2021 |access-date=29 Jan 2021 |website=Amal El-Mohtar}} She is bisexual.{{Cite tweet |number=1270875729228677122 |user=tithenai |title=I am here to tell you that I, a bisexual cis woman in Pride Month 2020, am harmed by JKR's terrible essay... |first=Amal ) |last=El-Mohtar |date=10 June 2020 |access-date=21 November 2024 |language=English |link=https://x.com/tithenai/status/1270875729228677122?lang=en}}

Selected works

El-Mohtar's full bibliography includes an extensive list of short stories, poems, essays, and reviews.Full bibliography https://amalelmohtar.com/bibliography/ Her most notable works include a short story collection and novella.

The Honey Month, collected short fiction, Papaveria Press 2010; {{ISBN|978-1907881008}}
This Is How You Lose the Time War (with Max Gladstone), novella, 2019; {{ISBN|9781534431003}}
The River Has Roots, novel, 2025; {{ISBN|9781250341082}}

Notes

References

External links

{{Official website|https://amalelmohtar.com/}}
{{ISFDB name}}
[https://uncannymagazine.com/article/seasons-glass-iron/ "Seasons of Glass and Iron"], winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards in 2016-17