The Authors Quill guest judge and Author Nancy Kress author Zach Poulter

Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-three books, including twenty-six novels, four collections of short stories, and three books on writing. Her work has won six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Most recent works are Tomorrow’s Kin (Tor, 2017) and its sequel, If Tomorrow Comes (Tor, 201). Like much of Nancy’s work, they concern genetic engineering. The third book, Terran Tomorrow, will be out in 2019. In addition to writing, Kress often teaches at various venues around the country and abroad, including the yearly intensive workshop Taos Toolbox, a semester as the Picador visiting lecturer at the University of Leipzig, and a 2017 workshop in Beijing. Kress lives in Seattle with her husband, writer Jack Skillingstead, and Cosette, the world’s most spoiled toy poodle. Nancy Kress has been a judge since 2015. “Writers of the Future, which has launched the careers of so many young writers, is an inestimable boon to both individuals and the field as a whole.” —Nancy Kress Find out more at: NancyKress.com United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com Zach Poulter was raised amidst the sagebrush and potato fields of rural Idaho. His childhood was spent exploring the nearby Snake River, volcanic buttes, sagebrush desert, and the many abandoned homes and vehicles lodged in unexpected places by a catastrophic flood. He now lives the glamorous lifestyle of a middle school band teacher, and also freelances as a saxophonist and composer. When not teaching and making music, he writes all varieties of speculative fiction, with a special affinity for dark, suspenseful fantasy and hopeful horror. Zach lives in Utah with his marvelous wife, four clever children, and not-quite-enough saxophones. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 43rd year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction.