Tlotlo Tsamaase

Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana speculative fiction writer and poet whose writing has been nominated for or won numerous awards.

Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, Strange Horizons, Africanfuturism: An Anthology, Africa Risen, and more.

Life and career Tsamaase earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Botswana as well as an MFA in creative writing from Chapman University. She has said that "studying architecture brought [her] to science fiction."

Her first novella, The Silence of the Wilting Skin, was published in 2021 by Pink Narcissus Press and was nominated for a Lambda Award in the LGBTQ Speculative Fiction category. Her first novel, Womb City, was published by Erewhon Books in 2024 and was nominated for a Locus Award for Best First Novel. It was also a finalist for the 2025 Ignyte Award for Outstanding Novel. 7

Her fiction has appeared in publications such as Clarkesworld Magazine, The Best of World Science Fiction Volume 1, Futuri uniti d'Africa, Terraform, Strange Horizons, Africanfuturism: An Anthology, Africa Risen, The Dark Magazine, and The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction.

She is currently represented by Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency.

She is Motswana.

I Will Be Your Grave Best Poem Rhysling Award "Virtual Snapshots" Nommo Award Longlist Best Novella

"Behind Our Irises" Best Short Story Joint winner

"Dreamports" Best Short Story

"Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)"

Shortlist

Best First Novel

Top ten finalist Best Novel Nommo Award Selected bibliography Fiction — short stories "Who Will Clean Our Spirits When We Are Gone?", The Dark Magazine "The River of Night", The Dark Magazine "Eclipse Our Sins", Clarkesworld Magazine "Behind Our Irises", in Wole Talabi, editor, Africanfuturism: An Anthology (2020) "The River of Night" in Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, editor, The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021) "Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)", in Sheree Renée Thomas, Zelda Knight, and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, editor, Africa Risen (2022) "Dreamports" in Apex Magazine (2022)

Fiction — novels and novellas

The Silence of the Wilting Skin (2020) Womb City (2024)