Kacen Callender
Kacen Callender (formerly Kheryn Callender)[1] 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.[2]
Kacen Callender | |
---|---|
Born | 1989 (age 30–31) St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
Language | English |
Nationality | Saint Thomian |
Education | BA in Japanese and Creative Writing, MFA in Writing for Children |
Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College, The New School |
Genre | Young adult fiction, middle grade fantasy |
Notable works | Hurricane Child |
Notable awards | Stonewall Book Award • Lambda Literary Award |
Years active | 2018-present |
Website | |
kacencallender |
Personal life
Callender was born and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.[3] 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.[4]
Prior to becoming an author, Callender was an editor at Little, Brown.[5] 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.[6][7][8]
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns.[9][10] Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.[1]
They currently live in Philadelphia.[11]
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.[2]
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.[12] Hurricane Child went on to win the award.[13]
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.[1] 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.[1][14]
King and the Dragonflies, Callender's second middle-grade novel that explores race and sexuality, was published in 2020.[15] It received a starred review from School Library Journal,[16] Horn Book,[17] and Publishers Weekly.[18]
Their adult debut, Queen of the Conquered, was published by Orbit in 2019. It's set in a Caribbean-inspired world and tells the story of a black protagonist fighting back against colonizers.[19] It received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews[20] and School Library Journal.
Bibliography
Middle Grade
- Hurricane Child (Scholastic, 2018)
- King and the Dragonflies (Scholastic, 2020)
Young Adult
- This is Kind of an Epic Love Story (Balzer+Bray, 2018)
- Felix Ever After (Balzer+Bray, 2020)
Fantasy
- Islands of Blood and Storm Series
- Queen of the Conquered (Orbit, 2019
- King of the Rising (Orbit, 2020)
Awards
Won
- 2019 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award for Hurricane Child[21]
- 2019 Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ* Children's/Young Adult for Hurricane Child[13]
Nominated
- 2019 Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ* Children's/Young Adult for This is Kind of an Epic Love Story[22]
References
- "Rights Report: Week of May 20, 2019". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- 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.
- "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. "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*. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Expectations Vs. Reality by Kheryn Callender". 88 Cups of Tea with Yin Chang. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Nast, Condé. "Announcing the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominations". them. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- "Congratulations to the Winners of the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards!". Book Marks. 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.
- www.publishersweekly.com https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-338-12933-5. Retrieved 2020-02-23. Missing or empty
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(help) - "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.
- admin (2009-09-09). "Stonewall Book Awards List". Round Tables. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- Glyer, Mike (2019-03-07). "2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominees". File 770. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
External links
Quotations related to Kacen Callender at Wikiquote