C. L. Polk

C. L. Polk (born 1969) is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction, known for their debut novel Witchmark which won the World Fantasy Award in 2019. Polk's 2022 novella Even Though I Knew the End won the Nebula Award for Best Novella, and several of their other works have received nominations for speculative fiction awards.

Early life and career

Polk was born in 1969 in New Westminster, British Columbia and grew up in Surrey and Edmonton. They began writing in their thirties, publishing short fiction in magazines such as Abyss & Apex in the early 2000s. the historical mystery and fantasy novels of Barbara Hambly, and the Valdemar novels by Mercedes Lackey.

Polk's first novel Witchmark was the first entry in the Kingston Cycle. It was written in 2014 and published in 2018.

Stormsong, the sequel to Witchmark, was listed by CBC Books as among the Canadian fiction to watch for in 2020. The third and concluding book of the series, Soulstar, was published in 2021. Other works by Polk include a historical fantasy set in Regency era England, The Midnight Bargain,

Even Though I Knew the End, a period novella set in early 1900s Chicago about a damned woman fighting for a chance to be with the woman she loves, was nominated for multiple major awards and won the Nebula Award. Polk expressed surprise at the flood of nominations, saying that they didn't think it was "an award book."

Personal life

Polk is non-binary and has referred to their gender as a "lava lamp."

As of 2020, Polk resides in Calgary, Alberta. In 2023, Polk underwent treatment with ketamine and blogged about their experience. Their intent was to manage Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder impacting their life and writing career. Polk continues to focus on fantasy with queer, romantic, and adventurous themes.

Awards

+ year Work Award Category Result 2018 Witchmark Aurora Award Novel, 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Debut Author, 2018 Lambda Literary Award SF, Fantasy and Horror, 2019 Locus Award First Novel, 2019 Nebula Award Novel, 2018 World Fantasy Award Novel, 2019 2020 Ignyte Award Adult Novel, 2021 Locus Award Fantasy Novel, 2021 Nebula Award Novel, 2020 World Fantasy Award Novel, 2021 2021 Ignyte Award Novelette, 2022 Soulstar Aurora Award Novel, 2022 Locus Award Fantasy Novel, 2022 2022 Even Though I Knew the End Aurora Award Novelette/Novella, 2023 Hugo Award Novella, 2023 Ignyte Award Novella, 2023 Locus Award Novella, 2023 Nebula Award Novella, 2022 World Fantasy Award Novella, 2023 Hugo Award Series 2023 Hugo Award Novelette, 2024 Ignyte Award Novelette, 2024