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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs S.A. Cosby a writer? Novel idea.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from SA Cosby)

S. A. Cosby
Cosby at the 2023 National Book Festival
Cosby at the 2023 National Book Festival
Born
Shawn Andre Cosby

(1973-08-04) August 4, 1973 (age 52)
Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
GenreSouthern noir • crime thriller• fantasy
Notable works
Notable awardsAnthony–Short Story (2019)
Anthony–Novel (2021)
ITWA–Hardcover (2021)
ITWA–Hardcover (2022)

Shawn Andre Cosby (born August 4, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia) is an American author of Southern noir crime fiction.[1] He resides in Gloucester, Virginia on the York River. Cosby has published five crime novels: My Darkest Prayer, Blacktop Wasteland, Razorblade Tears, All the Sinners Bleed, and King of Ashes.[2][3][4]

Early life

[edit]

Cosby grew up in Mathews County, Virginia. His mother was partially disabled and raised Cosby and his brother. His father was a scallop boater on the Chesapeake Bay.[2] Cosby describes his childhood as “a pastoral, almost Huck Finn type.” He spent much of his time reading, and was encouraged by his mother to try writing books of his own.[2] He attended Lee-Jackson Elementary School.[5]

After high school, Cosby began attending college courses, but dropped out due to financial issues. He continued writing while moving around Virginia,[5] eventually settling back in Mathews County. He worked multiple jobs including as a bouncer, in construction,[6] and at a Lowe's while finding some initial publishing success with short stories.[2]

Career

[edit]

Cosby self-published his first novel, Brotherhood of the Blade, in 2014.[7]

His first traditionally published novel, My Darkest Prayer, was released in 2018 by a small press. His career breakthrough came after he impressed agent Josh Getzler during a crime writing symposium. Getzler was able to place Cosby's second novel, Blacktop Wasteland, with Flatiron Books.[2] This was followed by Razorblade Tears in 2021, All the Sinners Bleed in 2023, and King of Ashes in 2025.

Cosby's writing is informed by his experiences growing up and living in the South. His works explore masculinity, racism, and the tension between Southern history and the present. Cosby says of the South: "If there's a place that is more haunted by its past and more overwhelmed by its original sin than the South, I'm unaware of it."[5]

Awards and accolades

[edit]

Cosby's 2021 novel, Razorblade Tears, debuted #10 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[2][8][9] The book was featured on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show for Fallon's 2021 Summer Reads Book Club. The book was one of six contenders for a Jimmy Fallon read.[9][10][11] It won or was nominated for a slew of awards, particularly ones that honor thrillers, suspense, and mystery, such as the Anthony Award,[12] Barry Award,[13] Edgar Award,[14] Gold Dagger,[15] ITW Award,[16] Macavity Award,[17] and Lefty Award[18]. It was received positively by critics and audiences.

His previous novel, Blacktop Wasteland "...won a landslide of awards, including a Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2020."[2] Notably, it is a 2021 Anthony Award and Macavity Award winner.[19][20][21] The International Thriller Writers, an association spanning 49 countries, with a membership of 4,500 authors of the genre, voted Blacktop Wasteland the ITW Award Best Hardcover Novel of 2021.[9] It also was chosen as a 2020 New York Times Notable Book and charted at #22 on that list.[4][22]

Year Work Award Result Ref
2020 Blacktop Wasteland Goodreads Choice Awards Mystery & Thriller Nominated—16th
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Mystery/Thriller Won [23][24]
2021 Anthony Award Novel Won [20][21]
Barry Award Novel Won
BCALA Literary Awards Fiction Honor
CWA Gold Dagger — Shortlisted [25]
ITW Award Hardcover Novel Won [9]
Lefty Award Mystery Novel Shortlisted [26]
Macavity Award Mystery Novel Won [19]
RUSA CODES Reading List Adrenaline Shortlisted [27]
Razorblade Tears Goodreads Choice Awards Mystery & Thriller Nominated—10th [28]
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Mystery/Thriller Shortlisted
2022 Anthony Award Novel Shortlisted [12]
Audie Award Thriller/Suspense Shortlisted [29]
Barry Award Novel Won [13]
BCALA Literary Awards Fiction Won [30]
Edgar Awards Novel Shortlisted [14][16]
CWA Gold Dagger — Shortlisted [15]
Hammett Prize — Won [31][32][33]
ITW Award Audiobook Won [16]
Hardcover Novel Won [16]
Lefty Award Mystery Novel Shortlisted [18]
Macavity Award Mystery Novel Won [17]
RUSA CODES Reading List Adrenaline Won [34]
2023 All the Sinners BleedCrime Fiction Lovers AwardBook of the YearShortlisted [35]
Goodreads Choice AwardsMystery & Thriller Nominated—10th [36]
Los Angeles Times Book PrizeMystery/ThrillerShortlisted [37]
Libby Book AwardAudiobookShortlisted [38]
2024 Anthony AwardHardcover Novel Won [39]
Andrew Carnegie Medals for ExcellenceFictionLonglisted [40]
Audie AwardAudiobook of the YearShortlisted [41]
CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger— Finalist
Edgar AwardNovelShortlisted [42][43]
ITW AwardHardcover Novel Won [44]
Lefty AwardMystery NovelShortlisted [45]
Macavity AwardMystery NovelWon [46]
Southern Book PrizeFictionShortlisted [47][48]
The Strand Critics AwardNovelShortlisted
2025 King of Ashes Los Angeles Times Book Prize Mystery/Thriller Shortlisted [49]
2026 Barry Award Best Novel Pending [50]
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Fiction Longlisted [51]
Aspen Words Literary Prize — Longlisted [52]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • —— (2019). My Darkest Prayer (paperback ed.). Intrigue Publishing. p. 224. ISBN 9781940758862.
  • —— (2020). Blacktop Wasteland (hardcover ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 285. ISBN 9781250252685.
  • —— (2021). Razorblade Tears (hardcover ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 322. ISBN 9781250252708.
  • —— (2023). All the Sinners Bleed (hardcover 1st ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 336. ISBN 9781250831910.
  • —— (2025). King of Ashes (hardcover 1st ed.). Flatiron Books. p. 352. ISBN 9781250832061.

Adaptations

[edit]

Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears have been optioned for films. Jerry Bruckheimer Films "was among the group that won the film rights in an auction" for Razorblade Tears.[2][3] All the Sinners Bleed is being adapted by Netflix into a nine-episode limited series starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Nicole Beharie, and John Douglas Thompson, with Joe Robert Cole as showrunner, executive producer, and writer.[53] Hans Zimmer and his composer collective Bleeding Fingers Music are set to score the music.[53]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Note: S.A. Cosby is the author's pen name, but also his initials.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Garner, Dwight (September 5, 2021). "S.A. Cosby, a Writer of Violent Noirs, Claims the Rural South as His Own". The New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Ghadiali, Ashish (July 30, 2021). "SA Cosby: 'The holy trinity of southern fiction is race, class and sex'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Wilkins, Langston Collin (July 2021). "S.A. Cosby Writing the blues". Book Page. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Briger, Sam (July 25, 2023). "Crime writer S.A. Cosby loves the South — and is haunted by it". NPR. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Interview With an Author: S.A. Cosby". www.lapl.org. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  7. ↑ Brown, Jena. "Author Interview: S. A. Cosby". Dark Matter Magazine.
  8. ↑ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books". The New York Times. July 25, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hamilton, Sherry (September 2, 2021). "Gloucester author garnering worldwide attention". Gloucester-Mathews Gazette Journal. Virginia. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Jimmy Fallon Brings Back His Summer Book Club". Kirkus Reviews. July 15, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Jimmy Fallon Announces His 2021 Summer Reads Competition Contenders". People. July 15, 2021.
  12. 1 2 locusmag (September 12, 2022). "2022 Anthony Awards Winners". Locus Online. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  13. 1 2 patti (September 15, 2022). "Barry Awards (Crime Fiction) - 2022 -". Nightstand Book Reviews. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "MWA Announces the 2022 Edgar Award Nominations – Mystery Writers of America". January 19, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "CWA Dagger Shortlists Announced". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Schaub, Michael (June 7, 2022). "International Thriller Award Winners Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  17. 1 2 patti (September 10, 2022). "2022 - Macavity Awards -". Nightstand Book Reviews. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  18. 1 2 "Lefty Award Archives". www.leftcoastcrime.org. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  19. 1 2 patti (August 25, 2021). "Macavity Awards - 2021 -". Nightstand Book Reviews. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  20. 1 2 "2021 Anthony Award Winners". Novel Suspects. August 31, 2021.
  21. 1 2 "2021 Anthony Awards Winners". Locus. August 31, 2021.
  22. ↑ "100 Notable Books of 2020". The New York Times. November 20, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Winners of the 2020 L.A. Times Book Prizes announced". Los Angeles Times. April 17, 2021.
  24. ↑ Garner, Dwight (September 5, 2021). "S.A. Cosby, a Writer of Violent Noirs, Claims the Rural South as His Own". The New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  25. ↑ Glyer, Mike (May 22, 2021). "2021 Dagger Awards Shortlists". File 770. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Lefty Award Archives". www.leftcoastcrime.org. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  27. ↑ "RUSA CODES Reading List | 2021 | Awards and Honors | LibraryThing". LibraryThing.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!". Goodreads. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Audie Award | Finalist | Thriller/Suspense | 2022 | Awards and Honors | LibraryThing". LibraryThing.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  30. ↑ Contreraz, Victoria. "LibGuides: Literary Awards: 2020 - Present". libguides.msubillings.edu. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  31. ↑ Schaub, Michael (June 19, 2022). "S.A. Cosby Wins the Dashiell Hammett Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  32. ↑ patti (June 17, 2022). "2022 Hammett Prize -". Nightstand Book Reviews. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  33. ↑ "IACW/NA: Hammett Prize: Past Years". www.crimewritersna.org. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  34. ↑ Moore, Ninah (January 23, 2022). "Reader's advisory announce 2022 Reading List: Year's best in genre fiction for adult Readers". RUSA Update. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  35. ↑ "The Crime Fiction Lover Awards 2023 – vote for your winners | Crime Fiction Lover". crimefictionlover.com. November 9, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!". Goodreads. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  37. ↑ Gelt, Jessica (February 21, 2024). "Raja Shehadeh, Yiyun Li and Maria Bamford among L.A. Times Book Prize finalists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  38. ↑ Grunenwald, Jill (March 13, 2024). "Announcing the Libby Book Awards winners!". OverDrive. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  39. ↑ "2024 Anthony Award Winners – The Poisoned Pen Bookstore". The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. August 31, 2024. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  40. ↑ "The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2024". Brilliant Books. November 14, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  41. ↑ "2024-audie-awards-winners". Homepage. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  42. ↑ "The 2024 Edgar Award Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense Novel". bookshop.org.
  43. ↑ "2024 Edgar Award Winners and Nominees". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  44. ↑ Picker, Lenny. "2024 Thriller Award Winners Announced". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  45. ↑ "Left Coast Crime 2024: Seattle Shakedown". leftcoastcrime.org. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  46. ↑ "2024 Macavity Awards Winners". bookreporter.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  47. ↑ "The Southern Book Prize Finalists for 2024". Fulton County Library System. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  48. ↑ "The Southern Book Prize". The Southern Bookseller Review. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  49. ↑ "2025 LA Times Book Prize honorees named". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  50. ↑ "The Barry Award Nominations". The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  51. ↑ "Announcing the Longlist for the 2026 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction". PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  52. ↑ Schaub, Michael. "Longlist for Aspen Words Literary Prize Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  53. 1 2 Agard, Chancellor (February 23, 2026). "In All the Sinners Bleed, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù Hunts an Unholy Serial Killer". Netflix. Archived from the original on March 4, 2026. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
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