Mona Tebyanian is an Iranian-American author whose writing is defined by bold imagination, emotional depth, and cultural richness. Born and raised in Iran, she moved to the United States at 19, carrying with her a lifelong connection to the stories, myths, and traditions that shaped her early years. She later earned a degree in civil and environmental engineering from San Jose State University and forged a successful career in the semiconductor industry—an arena that honed her precision and discipline, while quietly nurturing her creative spirit.
Her debut novel, The Queen of Sands, is a powerful blend of fantasy, mystery, and self-discovery—woven with the sensibilities of someone who has lived between worlds and overcome linguistic and cultural barriers to find her voice. Writing in English, her second language, Mona transforms challenge into strength, using storytelling as a bridge between identities and generations.
Now based in the U.S., Mona balances her life as a writer, engineer, wife, and mother to twin boys. Her work stands as a testament to resilience, transformation, and the unshakable belief that storytelling can transcend boundaries. Through the Phoenix Award, she seeks to connect with readers and professionals who believe, as she does, that every voice shaped by adversity has the power to ignite change.
