Tlotlo Pearl Tsamaase | |
---|---|
Occupation | Author |
Language | English |
Nationality | Botswana |
Genre | Science fiction and fantasy |
Notable awards | Bessie Head Short Story Award, Nommo Award |
Website | |
www |
Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana speculative fiction writer and poet whose writing has been nominated for or won numerous awards.
Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine , Strange Horizons , Africanfuturism: An Anthology , Africa Risen , and more.
Tsamaase earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Botswana as well as an MFA in creative writing from Chapman University. [1] She has said that "studying architecture brought [her] to science fiction." [2]
Her first novella, The Silence of the Wilting Skin , was published in 2021 by Pink Narcissus Press and was nominated for a Lambda Award in the LGBTQ Speculative Fiction category. [3] Her first novel, Womb City , was published by Erewhon Books in 2024 [4] and was nominated for a Locus Award for Best First Novel. [5]
Her fiction has appeared in publications such as Clarkesworld Magazine , The Best of World Science Fiction Volume 1, Futuri uniti d'Africa, Terraform, Strange Horizons , Africanfuturism: An Anthology , Africa Risen , The Dark Magazine , and The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction .
She is currently represented by Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency. [6]
Year | Nominated work | Category | Award | Result | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Unlettered Skies of the Sublime | Best Novel | Bessie Head Short Story Awards | Won | [7] | |
2017 | I Will Be Your Grave | Best Poem | Rhysling Award | Nominated | [8] | |
"Virtual Snapshots" | Nommo Award | Nominated | Longlist | [8] | ||
2021 | The Silence of the Wilting Skin | LGBTQ Speculative Fiction | Lambda Award | Nominated | [9] | |
Best Novella | Nommo Award | Nominated | [10] | |||
"Behind Our Irises" | Best Short Story | Won | Joint winner | [11] | ||
2022 | "Dreamports" | Best Short Story | Nominated | [12] | ||
2023 | "Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)" | Caine Prize | Nominated | Shortlist | [13] | |
2025 | Womb City | Best First Novel | Locus Award | Nominated | Top ten finalist | [14] |