J.R. Dawson (she/they) is a queer speculative fiction author who the Washington Post called “both sharp and wistful, reminiscent of V.E. Schwab at her best.” Her novel, The First Bright Thing, follows a time-traveling circus of magical misfits. It won two Golden Crown Literary Awards and has been translated into German and Spanish. Her newest book, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World, is a sapphic Orpheus retelling that has been named a JLG Gold Standard and won the 2026 Society of Midland Authors award for Adult Fiction. Her stories often focus on memory, history, magic, found family, trauma, and what we owe to the future and each other. There are also usually dogs involved.
Their essays and short stories have appeared in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, Reactor, Sunday Morning Transport, and Uncanny. In 2026, her short story, “Six People to Revise You,” is a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.
Dawson has also worked closely with the Institute for Holocaust Education to create When We Go Away, a play that introduces middle school students to the history of Holocaust survivors using music and ensemble. She’s toured most of the United States speaking on queer stories in red states and the importance of making your voice heard.
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 three chaotic dogs out of trouble.
Click here for J.R. Dawson’s CONvergence 2026 schedule.
You can learn more about J.R. Dawson on her website, jrdawsonwriter.com, and follow her on Bluesky as @jrdawson.bsky.social, Instagram as @jrdawsonwriter, TikTok as @jrdawsonwriter, or on her Facebook page.
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