Elaine Castillo

Named one of “30 of the Planet’s Most Exciting Young People” by the Financial Times, Elaine Castillo was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her most recent novel, Moderation, has been currently longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize in Fiction, is currently a finalist for the California Book Award in Fiction, and was named one of the Top Ten Books of 2025 by The Atlantic, Slate, and a Best Book of 2025 by The New Yorker, TIME, Kirkus Reviews, and more. She is also the author of the award-winning debut novel America is Not the Heart and the acclaimed book of essays How to Read Now. She is a 2026 Whiting Award winner, a two-time San Francisco Public Library Laureate, a Berkeley Public Library Laureate, and was also recently longlisted for the 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. In the tradition of diasporic mothers everywhere, she works primarily so her rescue German shepherd Vincent can live a better life.