Ursula Vernon

Ursula Vernon (born May 28, 1977) is an American writer, artist, and illustrator. She has won numerous awards for her work in various mediums, including Hugo Awards for her graphic novel Digger, fantasy novel Nettle & Bone, and fantasy novella Thornhedge; the Nebula Award for her short story "Jackalope Wives"; and Mythopoeic Awards for adult and children's literature. Vernon's books for children include Hamster Princess and Dragonbreath. Under the name T. Kingfisher, she is also the author of books for older audiences. She writes short fiction under both names.

Life and career Ursula Vernon was born in Japan to a military family and grew up in Oregon and Arizona. She studied anthropology at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she first took art classes.

She first became known for her webcomics and as a freelance artist, particularly for her works containing anthropomorphic animals. She then moved into writing and illustrating children's books, her first being published in 2008, and then books for adults under the pseudonym T. Kingfisher. She started using the pseudonym in order to avoid confusion for parents who were only familiar with her as a children's book author. She chose it both because she loves kingfishers and as an homage to Ursula K. Le Guin, who once joked that the initials "U.K." could stand for "Ulysses Kingfisher". Vernon has published short fiction under both names, and has won a number of awards for them including the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

She regularly attends conventions to exhibit and sell her work. She was a guest of honor at Midwest FurFest 2004 and 2009, and the Artist Guest of Honor at Further Confusion 2010. In August 2014, Vernon was the Author Guest of Honor for Mythcon 45 and a Guest of Honor at Eurofurence 20. She was the Author Guest of Honor at Arisia 2017.

The game Black Sheep designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Fantasy Flight Games uses art by Vernon on its playing cards. Her artwork titled The Biting Pear of Salamanca became an internet meme in the form of the "LOL WUT pear".

In June 2023, Vernon announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer; by December of that year, she announced that her treatment had been successful and she was cancer-free.

Works

Books for younger audiences

All of the following books for younger readers are written under the name Ursula Vernon.

Dragonbreath series

Hamster Princess series

Other children's books

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Adult books

Unless noted otherwise, these books are written under the name T. Kingfisher.

Black Dogs (as Ursula Vernon)

World of the White Rat

The Sworn Soldier series

Collections As Ursula Vernon:

As T. Kingfisher:

Media tie-ins

Standalone novels

Webcomics

Digger Vol. 1 () Vol. 2 () Vol. 3 () Vol. 4 () Vol. 5 () Vol. 6 () Digger: The Complete Omnibus Edition ()

Irrational Fears "Little Creature" "Little Creature and the Redcap"

Awards and nominations + Year Work Award Category Result Ref.2005DiggerWeb Cartoonists' Choice Award Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic Outstanding Black and White Art 2006 Eisner Award Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition 2007 Web Cartoonists' Choice Award Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic 2012 Hugo Award Graphic Story 2013 Mythopoeic Award Adult Literature 2014 Nebula Award Short Story 2015 World Fantasy Award Short Fiction WSFA Small Press Award — 2016 Castle Hangnail Mythopoeic Award Children's Literature Eugie Award — 2017 Hugo Award Novelette WSFA Small Press Award — 2018 Summer in Orcus Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book — Hugo Award Short Story 2019 Hugo Award Short Story 2020 Locus Award Short Story Minor Mage Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book — British Fantasy Award Horror Novel Dragon Award Horror Novel Locus Award Horror Novel RUSA Reading List Horror Andre Norton Award — 2021 British Fantasy Award Horror Novel Dragon Award Horror Novel Locus Award Horror Novel RUSA Reading List Horror Hugo Award Short Story WSFA Small Press Award — Dragon Award Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel Locus Award Young Adult Book Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book — Mythopoeic Award Children's Literature 2022 Illuminations BSFA Award Book for Younger Readers Nettle & Bone Dragon Award Fantasy Novel Nebula Award Novel Paladin's Strength Locus Award Fantasy Novel What Moves the Dead Goodreads Choice Awards Horror The World of the White Rat Hugo Award Series 2023 Dragon Award Horror Novel Nettle & Bone Hugo Award Novel Locus Award Fantasy Novel RUSA Reading List Fantasy Thornhedge Nebula Award Novella What Moves the Dead Hugo Award Novella Locus Award Horror Novel RUSA Reading List Horror 2024 British Fantasy Award Horror Novel Locus Award Horror Novel Paladin's Faith Locus Award Fantasy Novel Nebula Award Novel Thornhedge British Fantasy Award Best Novella Hugo Award Novella Locus Award Novella RUSA Reading List Fantasy World Fantasy Award Novella What Feasts at Night Goodreads Choice Awards Horror 2025 Hugo Award Novel Locus Award Fantasy Novel RUSA Reading List Fantasy What Feasts at Night British Fantasy Award Best Novella Hugo Award Novella Locus Award Novella 2026Hemlock & Silver Locus Award Fantasy Novel Dragon Awards Illustrative Book Cover Snake-Eater Mythopoeic Award Adult Literature What Stalks the Deep Hugo Award Novella Locus Award Novella

Ursula Vernon

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