Kij Johnson is a writer of speculative and experimental short fiction and novels. She has won the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards, as well as the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and others. In 2013, she gave the inaugural Tolkien Lecture at Oxford University; since then she has been a guest of honor at conferences and conventions in Sweden, France, Iceland, and the United States.
Before entering academia, she worked in New York publishing (Tor Books), comic books and graphic novels (Dark Horse Comics), RPGs and TCGs (Dark Horse Wizards of the Coast/TSR), and technical writing/user communications (Microsoft, RealNetworks).
She has taught creative writing workshops and seminars as a guest writer for gaming conventions, at six-week, two-week, weekend, and one-day residential workshops; and as a writer in residence for Furman College.