2026 Writer of the Year (WOTY) Finalists
Greetings members, and a hearty congratulations to the 2026 WOTY finalists! You can read a bit more about them below, and don’t forget to vote! Voting closes July 15th!
Finalists
Nadia Afifi is a science fiction author. Her debut novel, The Sentient, was lauded by Publisher’s Weekly as “staggering and un-put-downable”. Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Clarkesworld and Abyss & Apex. In addition to The Sentient, her published novels include The Emergent, The Transcendent, and her latest, A Rebel's History of Mars.
She grew up in the Middle East, but currently calls Denver, Colorado home with her husband and rescue dog. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time practicing (and falling off) the lyra, hiking, and working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles she can find.
Andrea Catalano has been pursuing her dream of becoming a novelist ever since fourth grade, when she fell in love with Little Women. A Boston-area native, she received her B.A. in History from Suffolk University. She went on to receive a MPhil in Historical Studies from University of Cambridge, UK, with her dissertation titled, Seeking and Following the Indentured Servant in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630 – 1700.
She has worked in various jobs and side hustles to support her writing dreams, including middle school history teacher, substitute high school teacher, online content editor, bar tender, Outward Bound admissions advisor, and a perfumer’s apprentice, all while continuing to develop her writing craft. While living in Denver for nine years, she was an active member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, specifically the amazing Southwest Denver Critique Group. She has served as a volunteer as well as a faculty member at many Colorado Gold Conferences, and has continued to attend the conference as much as possible, despite moving out of state.
Andrea’s debut historical Fiction Novel, The First Witch of Boston, released in September 2025 from Lake Union Publishing. Based on Margaret Jones, the first woman executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts in 1648, the novel became an Amazon Bestseller, and placed third in the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, The Lacemaker’s Fortune, also from Lake Union, published March 2026, an instant Amazon bestseller. Set in 1879, it is the story of an Irish immigrant in New York City who follows her dreams and desires to the mining boomtown of Leadville, CO. Andrea’s next novel will arrive in fall of 2027 from Lake Union, the story of one of George Washington’s female spies.
When not writing or researching, Andrea enjoys reading, cooking elaborate meals, knitting, traveling, supporting live music, and reveling in all things Star Wars related. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband, two children, two fluffy cats, and many, many books.
Karla M. Jay is the award-winning author of When We Were Brave, It Happened in Silence, The Puppet Maker's Daughter, a Shot at Justice, and The Speaking in Tungs series. She has wanted to write books since she was seven. Originally from the east coast, she makes her home in Salt Lake City. Over the years she has written in several different genres, ranging from humor to noir, but is always focused on stories of injustice. When she's not writing, she's reading, gardening, playing with her dog, or traveling to new places to try to find a story that has never been told.