Karen Russell

Karen Russell (born July 10, 1981) is an American novelist and short story writer. Her debut novel, Swamplandia!, was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 2009, the National Book Foundation named Russell a 5 Under 35 honoree. She is also the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant".

Early life and education Russell was born in Miami, Florida, on July 10, 1981. Her brother, Kent Russell, is also a writer.

In 1999, she graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, Florida. She received a BA in Spanish and English from Northwestern University in 2003 and an MFA from Columbia University in 2006.

Career Russell's stories have been featured in The Best American Short Stories, Conjunctions, Granta, The New Yorker, Oxford American, and Zoetrope.

She was named a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" young writer honoree at the November 2009 ceremony for her first short story collection, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. Retrieved 2026-06-28. The book also won Russell the Bard Fiction Prize in 2011."Karen Russell, 2011 Recipient" , Bard Fiction Prize. The book was a finalist for the 2007 Young Lions Fiction Award. Retrieved 2026-06-27.

In 2011, Russell was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction. Retrieved 2026-06-27.

Russell's second book and first novel, Swamplandia!, about a family of alligator wrestlers and their shabby amusement park in the Everglades, was long-listed for the 2011 Orange Prize. The novel was also included in The New York Times "10 Best Books of 2011""The 10 Best Books of 2011" and won the New York Public Library's 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award."Finalists Chosen for The New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award", New York Public Library, March 8, 2012. Swamplandia! was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; however, none of the three finalists received enough votes, and no prize was awarded.

Her second short story collection, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, was published by Vintage Contemporaries in February 2013. It received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews: "Here, she returns to that format with startling effect, reinforcing the uniqueness of her fiction, employing situations that are implausible, even outlandish, to illuminate the human condition … Even more impressive than Russell's critically acclaimed novel." Retrieved 2026-10-06.

Russell's third short story collection, Orange World and Other Stories, was released in May 2019.

Her short story "The Hox River Window," published in Zoetrope: All-Story, won the 2012 National Magazine Award for fiction.National Magazine Award , American Society of Magazine Editors. She is the recipient of the Mary Ellen von der Heyden Berlin Prize and was awarded a fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin for Spring 2012."The American Academy Announces the 2011-2012 Class of Fellows" "Reeling for the Empire" won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette of 2012. In 2013, Russell received a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant."

In 2010, Russell was a visiting writer at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.Writers' Workshop , The University of Iowa. She later served as an artist in residence at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY. In Fall 2013, Russell was a distinguished guest teacher of creative writing in the MFA program at Rutgers University-Camden."Pulitzer Prize Nominee to Serve as Guest Teacher for Rutgers-Camden MFA Program", Rutgers Today, January 9, 2013. Russell held the Endowed Chair in Creative Writing at Texas State University’s MFA program from 2017 through 2020. She has also taught at Columbia University, Bryn Mawr College, and University of California, Irvine.

In March 2025, her second novel, The Antidote, was released by Random House. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review: "A singular, haunting vision that fearlessly excavates the past and challenges the reader to face the future head-on. A storytelling tour de force that lives up to the promise of its name." Retrieved 2026-10-06. The novel won the 2026 Pacific Northwest Book Award. Retrieved 2026-10-06. It was shortlisted for the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction and a finalist for the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.Retrieved 2026-05-05. It has been nominated for the 2025 Endeavour Award for a distinguished science fiction or fantasy book by a Pacific Northwest writer, award ceremony/decision in October 2026.

In 2026, Russell started a job with Stanford University as a creative writing professor.

Personal life A Miami native, she later moved to Portland, Oregon, with her husband, editor Tony Perez, and two children. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reference edited 2026-05-15.

Bibliography Novels Retrieved 2026-04-30.

Short fiction Collections

Novellas'''

Stories TitleYearFirst publishedReprinted/collectedSt Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves2006A family restaurant2011The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis2013The Bad Graft2014 Retrieved 2026-05-17. Retrieved 2026-05-17. Retrieved 2026-05-17.Sleep donation : a novella2014The Prospectors2015The Bog Girl2016Orange World2018The Ghost Birds2021

Non-fiction Title in the online table of contents is "Can video games help stroke victims?".

Karen Russell

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