Tlotlo Tsamaase
Motswana speculative fiction writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana speculative fiction writer and poet whose writing has been nominated for or won numerous awards.
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 | |
Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, Strange Horizons, Africanfuturism: An Anthology, Africa Risen, and more.
Life and career
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] It was also a finalist for the 2025 Ignyte Award for Outstanding Novel. 7
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]
Awards and nominations
| 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] |
| Best Novel | Nommo Award | Won | [15] |
Selected bibliography
Fiction — short stories
- "Who Will Clean Our Spirits When We Are Gone?", The Dark Magazine
- "The River of Night", The Dark Magazine
- "Eclipse Our Sins", Clarkesworld Magazine
- "Behind Our Irises", in Wole Talabi, editor, Africanfuturism: An Anthology (2020)
- "The River of Night" in Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, editor, The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021)
- "Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)", in Sheree Renée Thomas, Zelda Knight, and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, editor, Africa Risen (2022)
- "Dreamports" in Apex Magazine (2022)
Fiction — novels and novellas
- The Silence of the Wilting Skin (2020)
- Womb City (2024)