Mary Robinette Kowal

(February 8, 1969 --)

Mary Robinette Kowal (born in Raleigh, N.C., as Mary Robinette Harrison) is an American SF author and puppeteer. She also served as art director for Shimmer Magazine, and in 2010 was named art director for Weird Tales. A collection of her short fiction, Scenting the Dark and Other Stories, was published by Subterranean Press in 2009.

She served as secretary of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for two years, served as SFWA vice-president from 2010 to 2012, and was elected president of SFWA in 2019. Beginning with her term as secretary and continuing throughout her presidency, Kowal was instrumental in reimagining the Nebula Award Weekend and her early decision in 2020 to convert it to an online conference due to Covid-19 allowed the event to achieve its greatest reach that year.

Kowal's membership at MidAmeriCon II was revoked after she served alcohol during one of her panels in violation of the convention's rules. She may be the only Worldcon chair whose membership at a previous Worldcon was revoked.

In 2018, following criticism of the planned programming for Worldcon 76 in San Jose, Kowal stepped in with a group of authors to resolve the issues.

Following the resignation of both DisCon III chairs in 2021, Kowal accepted the position of chair for the Worldcon in July, five months before the convention.

Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Awards, Honors and GoHships:

• 2008 -- 2008 Campbell Award
• 2009 -- 2009 Best Short Story Hugo nomination
• 2011 -- Baycon 2011, MidSouthCon 29, 2011 Best Short Story Hugo "For Want of a Nail"
• 2012 -- JordanCon III, Life, the Universe, & Everything 30, 2012 Best Related Work Hugo nomination, 2012 Best Novella Hugo nomination
• 2013 -- DeepSouthCon 51, Immortal ConFusion, 2013 Best Related Work Hugo
• 2014 -- illogiCon iii, Westercon 67, TM at 2014 World Fantasy Convention, 2014 Best Novelette Hugo
• 2015 -- World Fantasy Convention 2014, Toastmistress at Bubonicon 47
• 2017 -- Con*Stellation XXXV
• 2018 -- Bubonicon 50, Boskone 55, Nebula Award for Best Novel
• 2019 -- Norwescon 42, 2019 Best Novel Hugo, Nebula Award, and Sidewise Award for The Calculating Stars
• 2021 -- IceCon 2021
• 2022 -- AtomaCon 2022
• 2023 -- ConQuesT 54

---

Person

1969—

This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.