Kacen Callender
Kacen Callender (born September 19, 1989) is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child.[1] Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award[2] and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's/Middle Grade.[3][4]
Kacen Callender | |
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![]() Callender reads for the National Book Foundation in 2020 | |
Born | September 19, 1989 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
Language | English |
Nationality | American |
Education | BA in Japanese and Creative Writing, MFA in Writing for Children |
Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College, The New School |
Years active | 2018–present |
Notable works | |
Notable awards | |
Website | |
kacencallender |
Personal life
Callender was born as Kheryn (in 1989) and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.[5] Callender also has a bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Japanese and Creative Writing and a MFA from The New School's Writing for Children program.[6]
Prior to becoming an author, Callender was an editor at Little, Brown.[7] In 2018, in reaction to Hurricane Irma, Callender launched the online auction #USVIPubFund, under which they and other book publishing professionals raised $104,000 to support the U.S. Virgin Islands.[8][9][10]
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns.[11][12] Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.[13]
They currently live in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands.
Critical reception
Their debut novel, Hurricane Child, about a twelve-year-old born during a hurricane who believes herself to be cursed, was published by Scholastic in 2018 and received the Stonewall Book Award in 2019.[1]
Both Hurricane Child and Callender's young adult debut, This is Kind of an Epic Love Story, were nominated for a 2019 Lambda Literary Award in the category LGBTQ* Children's/Young Adult.[14] Hurricane Child went on to win the award.[15]
Their second young adult novel, Felix Ever After, is about a transgender teen who catfishes a classmate for revenge and ends up falling for him.[13] Felix Ever After was published with Balzer + Bray in 2020 and sold together with This is Kind of an Epic Love Story in November 2017.[13][16]
King and the Dragonflies, Callender's second middle-grade novel that explores race and sexuality, was published in 2020.[17] It received a starred review from School Library Journal,[18] Horn Book,[19] and Publishers Weekly.[20]
Their adult debut, Queen of the Conquered, was published by Orbit in 2019. It is set in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world and tells the story of a biracial black woman who fights to retain power in a society that loathes the idea of her.[21] It received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews[22] and School Library Journal.
King and the Dragonflies was named the winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Children's/Middle Grade Literature at the 33rd Lambda Literary Awards in 2021.[23]
Bibliography
Middle Grade
- —— (2018). Hurricane Child (hardcover ed.). Scholastic. pp. 1–214. ISBN 978-1338129304.
- —— (2020). King and the Dragonflies (hardcover ed.). Scholastic Press. pp. 1–272. ISBN 978-1338129335.
- —— (2022). Moonflower (hardcover ed.). Scholastic Inc. pp. 1–272. ISBN 978-1338636598.
Young Adult
- —— (2018). This is Kind of an Epic Love Story (hardcover ed.). Balzer & Bray. pp. 1–290. ISBN 978-0062820228.
- —— (2020). Felix Ever After (hardcover ed.). Balzer & Bray. pp. 1–368. ISBN 978-0062820259.
- —— (2022). Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution (hardcover ed.). Amulet Books. pp. 1–336. ISBN 978-1419756870.
Adult Fantasy
- Islands of Blood and Storm Series
- —— (2019). Queen of the Conquered (hardcover ed.). Orbit. pp. 1–400. ISBN 978-0316454933.
- —— (2020). King of the Rising (paperback ed.). Orbit. pp. 1–384. ISBN 978-0316454940.
Audio Novella
- —— (2021). Sunset Springs (audiobook ed.). Audible Originals. ASIN B094Q2LSCF.
Awards
Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Hurricane Child | Stonewall Book Award | (Children's and Young Adult Literature) | Won | [24] |
Lambda Literary Award | Lambda–Children's and Young Adult Literature | Won | [15][25] | ||
This is Kind of an Epic Love Story | Finalist | [26] | |||
2020 | King and the Dragonflies | National Book Award | NBA–Young People's Literature | Won | [3] |
Queen of the Conquered | World Fantasy Award | WFA–Novel | Won | [27][2] | |
2021 | Felix Ever After | Stonewall Book Award | (Children's and Young Adult Literature) | Won | [24] |
King and the Dragonflies | Coretta Scott King Award | — | Honor | [28] | |
Lambda Literary Award | Lambda–Children's and Young Adult Literature | Won | [29] | ||
Walter Dean Myers Award | — | Honor | [30][31] |
References
- HCHO (2019-01-28). ""Julián is a Mermaid" and "Hurricane Child" win 2019 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award". News and Press Center. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "World Fantasy Awards 2020". World Fantasy Awards. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
- "National Book Awards 2020". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- "2021 Winners". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
- "In Brief: January 17, 2019". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Callender Kheryn". Brooklyn Book Festival. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Adler, Dahlia (2018-07-12). "Better Know an Author: Kheryn Callender". LGBTQ Reads. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "PubforPR Auction Exceeds Fundraising Goal for Hurricane Relief". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Staff, Source (2018-03-17). "St. Thomas Native Raises $104,000 Online for Hurricane Relief". St. Croix Source. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Staff, LORI ABBOTTS Daily News (17 March 2018). "V.I. author Kheryn Callender raises more than $100K for hurricane relief". The Virgin Islands Daily News. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Rish, Jocelyn. "Kheryn Callender, author of THIS IS KIND OF AN EPIC LOVE STORY, on writing a novel that's fun". Adventures in YA Publishing. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Episode 54! The PW Publishing Industry Salary Survey, 2018: Conversation with Kheryn Callender, PART 1". KIDLIT WOMEN*. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Rights Report: Week of May 20, 2019". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- "Announcing the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominations". them. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Congratulations to the Winners of the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards!". Book Marks. June 4, 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- "Rights Report: Week of November 13, 2017". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- Nicole (June 17, 2019). "Kacen Callender's 'King and the Dragonflies' Announced". Nerds and beyond.
- Kacen, Callender. "King and the Dragonflies". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- Bracy, Pauletta Brown. "Review of King and the Dragonflies". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- "King and the Dragonflies". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- "YA Author Kacen Callender on Transgender Characters and Writing for Teens". Philadelphia Magazine. 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED | Kirkus Reviews.
- Jane Henderson, "Lambda Literary Awards announce winners". St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 1, 2021.
- admin (2009-09-09). "Stonewall Book Awards List". Round Tables. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "31st Annual Lambda Literary Award Winners Announced". Lambda Literary. 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- Glyer, Mike (2019-03-07). "2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominees". File 770. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "sfadb : Kacen Callender Awards". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
- "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present". Round Tables. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- Gentes, Brian (2021-06-02). "2021 Lambda Literary Award Winners Announced". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- Schaub, Michael (2021-01-22). "Winners of the Walter Dean Myers Awards Announced". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- Nutt, Gina (2021-03-15). "Walter Dean Myers Awards". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
External links

