Amal El-Mohtar (born 13 December 1984) is a Canadian poet and writer of speculative fiction, best known for the 2019 novella This Is How You Lose the Time War. She is the editor of Goblin Fruit and reviews science fiction and fantasy books for the New York Times Book Review.
Early life and education El-Mohtar was born in Ottawa, Ontario to a family of Lebanese descent. She said that her parents told her that she comes from a long lineage of poets. She grew up in Ottawa with the exception of two years spent in Lebanon beginning when she was six years old. It was during those two years that she first developed a love for fantasy and science fiction (she credits her Lebanese cousin with first introducing her to Doctor Who), and also wrote her first poem.
As of 2026, she is pursuing a PhD in English at Carleton University and teaches creative writing at the University of Ottawa. Retrieved 2026-05-27. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
Writing career El-Mohtar has published short fiction, poetry, essays and reviews, and has edited the fantastic poetry quarterly magazine Goblin Fruit since 2006.
She began reviewing science fiction and fantasy books for the New York Times Book Review in February 2018. She has worked as a creative writing instructor at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. In 2018, she also served as a host on Brandon Sanderson's creative writing podcast Writing Excuses for Season 13.Writing Excuses podcast hosts https://writingexcuses.com/about-2/
Her 2019 novella, This Is How You Lose the Time War, co-written with Max Gladstone, won the 2019 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the 2020 Locus Award for Best Novella, 2020 Ignyte Award for Outstanding Novella, and the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella.2019 Nebula Award Finalists Announced , at Science Fiction Writers of America, published February 20, 2020; retrieved February 20, 20202020 Hugo Awards Announced , at The Hugo Awards; retrieved August 1, 2020 It was a finalist for the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award, the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize inaugural Ray Bradbury Prize, and the 2019 Kitschies. The book also achieved second place for the 2020 Theodore Sturgeon Award.
El-Mohtar announced in 2019 that This Is How You Lose the Time War had been optioned for television, with scripts to be written by herself and Gladstone.This is How You Lose the Time War , by Cheryl Morgan, at Cheryl-Morgan.com; retrieved October 27, 2019
In 2025, her first solo novella, The River Has Roots, was published by Tor Books. It won the 2025 Nebula Award for Best Novella and 2026 Locus Award for Best Novella. It received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was named one of "The 35 Best Books of 2025" by Esquire. Retrieved 2026-06-11. "The core tale will be relatable regardless of a reader’s genre affinity: an ode to sisters’ secret languages, a paean to petty adolescent envy reshaped into the foundation for growing together into adulthood, an anthem for bloody retribution…A book you’ll want to revisit like a favorite song, especially once you know the words to sing along." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review of The River Has Roots Retrieved 2026-06-11.
Her fourth book, Seasons of Glass & Iron: Stories, was published by Tor Books on March 24, 2026. The collection was named one of "The Best Books of 2026" by Esquire. Retrieved 2026-06-11. "El-Mohtar writes beautifully of ancestry, culture, and the natural world—particularly birds and gemstones—and wades thoughtfully through the depths of sorrow, isolation, and otherness…A collection that defies categorization, but is alive on every page." — Kirkus Reviews, review of Seasons of Glass & Iron: Stories Retrieved 2026-06-11.
Personal life She has been married to her husband, Stu West, since 2015. They live in Ottawa and Glasgow. El-Mohtar is bisexual.
Partial bibliography El-Mohtar's full bibliography includes an extensive list of short stories, poems, essays, and reviews.Full bibliography https://amalelmohtar.com/bibliography/
Novellas This Is How You Lose the Time War (with Max Gladstone), Saga Press, 2019 The River Has Roots, Tor Books, 2025
Short story collections The Honey Month, Papaveria Press, 2010 Seasons of Glass & Iron: Stories, Tor Publishing Group, 2026
Awards Year year based on official award year Title Award Category Result 2009 Rhysling Award Best Short Poem (with Catherynne M. Valente) Rhysling Award Best Long Poem 2010 Nebula Award Short Story 2011 Rhysling Award Best Short Poem 2014 Rhysling Award Best Short Poem 2015 Locus Award Short Story World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Nebula Award Short Story 2016 Locus Award Short Story Nebula Award Short Story 2017 Aurora Award Short Fiction Retrieved 2026-06-13. Hugo Award Short Story Locus Award Short Story World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Theodore Sturgeon Award— Retrieved 2026-06-13. 2019 This is How You Lose the Time War BSFA Award Shorter Fiction Kitschies Novella Los Angeles Times Book Prize Ray Bradbury Prize Nebula Award Novella Shirley Jackson Award Novella 2020 Aurora Award Best Short Fiction Hugo Award Novella Locus Award Novella Ignyte Award Novella Theodore Sturgeon Award — 2024 World Fantasy Award Short Fiction 2025 BSFA Award Shorter Fiction Retrieved 09-23-2026. Nebula Award Novella 2026 Aurora Award Novelette/Novella British Fantasy Award Novella Hugo Award Novella Ignyte Award Novella Locus Award Novella World Fantasy Award Long Fiction Retrieved 2026-08-04.
References
External links
"Seasons of Glass and Iron", winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards in 2016-17