The winner of the 2021 William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, presented annually by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts for a first book of fantasy, is Nghi Vo for The Empress of Salt and Fortune (Tordotcom). Award administrator Gary K. Wolfe shared the news via Locus Online on March 3.

The other finalists on this year’s Crawford shortlist are Night Roll, Michael DeLuca (Stelliform), Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel, Julian Jarboe (Lethe), Flyaway, Kathleen Jennings (Tordotcom), In Veritas, C.J. LaVigne (NeWest), and Beneath the Rising, Premee Mohamed (Solaris)

Participating in this year’s nomination and selection process were previous Crawford winners Candas Jane Dorsey and Jedediah Berry, as well as Karen Burnham, Mimi Mondal, and Cheryl Morgan.

The award will be presented during the virtual 42nd International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts.

[Via Locus Online.]