JR Dawson

J.R. Dawson (she/they) is a Nebula, Hugo, and Sturgeon finalist and the Golden Crown award-winning author of The First Bright Thing. They have had shorter works in places such as Reactor, F&SF, Lightspeed, Sunday Morning Transport, and Uncanny. Dawson currently lives on Dakota land in Minnesota with her loving wife. She teaches at Drexel University’s MFA program for creative writing, and fills her free time with keeping her chaotic dogs out of trouble. Her latest book, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World, is a sapphic Orpheus retelling that won the 2026 Award for Society of Midland Authors. Visit her at www.jrdawsonwriter.com .