Alaya Dawn Johnson

Alaya Dawn Johnson is an American author of speculative fiction known for her Zephyr Hollis urban fantasy series and numerous standalone novels and short stories. She won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for Trouble the Saints (2021), a dark fantasy set in 1940s Harlem featuring assassins with supernatural gifts. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1982, Johnson studied East Asian languages and cultures at Columbia University. Trouble the Saints was praised for its gorgeous prose, its exploration of race in mid-century America, and its morally complex protagonist. Johnson has also won the Nebula Award for Best Novelette. She has lived in Mexico City for many years and works as a writer and Spanish-language interpreter.