De'Shawn Charles Winslow was born and raised in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He is a 2017 graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and holds a BFA in creative writing and an MA in English literature from Brooklyn College. He lives in New York.
Isaac's Song (2025) Daniel Black "Isaac's Song is a beautiful, all-consuming novel about the complex relationships between fathers and queer sons, loss, grief, identity, friendship and love. I will read anything Black writes."
Float Up, Sing Down (2024) Laird Hunt "One of Laird Hunt's many gifts is his ability to transport readers to small towns filled with the most fascinating, yet ordinary, characters. He has done it again in this brilliant collection, which is skillfully linked by time and place. In the pages of Float Up, Sing Down, you'll meet a retired farmer closely observing his neighbors while thinking back on war days, a woman who finds great comfort in spending time in a cornfield, and a host of other complex and memorable people. I love this book."
Hope (2023) Andrew Ridker "Andrew Ridker has once again proven himself an incredibly talented writer of our generation. His brilliant, funny, and heartfelt second novel, Hope, reminds us that while we all have to follow our own paths, family will almost always be there. I love this novel."
The House is on Fire (2023) Rachel Beanland "The House Is On Fire is a dynamic novel with an unforgettable cast of diverse and intricately and gracefully crafted characters. Beanland deftly explores the complications of community, race and class, loyalty and sacrifice, and the various types of freedom. Rachel Beanland, once again, has proven herself to be a remarkable storyteller."
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa (2023) Stephen Buoro "Stephen Buoro's wonderful The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa is filled with lovable, memorable characters. You'll meet a young man pining over a fantasy; his fierce mother who tries to shield him as best she can; a friend who confides; and others who just want happiness. This novel is at once funny and heartbreaking. Most importantly, it's honest."
The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts (2023) Soraya Palmer "An all-consuming novel about sisterhood, motherhood, belonging, loss, and self-discovery. Soraya Palmer's characters are unparalleled and her prose is musical. Read this novel with a sibling, a cousin, or a very close friend."
When Trying to Return Home (2023) Jennifer Maritza McCauley "In When Trying To Return Home live a cast of some of the most memorable characters and predicaments I've encountered in fiction. These interlinked stories will introduce you to a mother who fights to keep her two children close to her; a nun who considers her options for the future and her boisterous, ever-protective sister; a boy who meets a discarded family member; an adoptive mother whose will angers her heirs - just to name some characters. Jennifer Maritza McCauley is an incredibly gifted writer and I can't wait to see what she shares with us next."
What Napoleon Could Not Do (2023) DK Nnuro "What Napoleon Could Not Do is an exquisitely written meditation on family, secrets, duty, loss, and the desire for success and inner peace. D.K. Nnuro has crafted each character--whether their role is large or small--with great care and singularity. What a striking debut."
Perish (2022) LaToya Watkins "The love LaToya Watkins has for her characters is evident on every page of this incredibly moving debut. Read Perish with a family member."
A Map for the Missing (2022) Belinda Huijuan Tang "With lean, musical prose, Belinda Huijuan Tang has written a stunning debut about family, belonging and love. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time."
The Perishing (2021) Natashia Deon "For a second time, Deón has proven herself a magnificent, artful storyteller. The Perishing is by turns mysterious, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I love this novel and its courageous protagonist."
When Ghosts Come Home (2021) Wiley Cash "Wiley Cash has written a suspenseful, yet heart-tugging novel about community, duty, loss, racial divides, family and love. When Ghosts Come Home is a compassionate and timely gem."
Yes, Daddy (2021) Jonathan Parks-Ramage "Jonathan Parks-Ramage has written an incredibly tender, yet fearless, novel that reminds us of what it means to err, to be forgiven, to forgive, and to live. Yes, Daddy is a gem of a debut."
