Masha Shukovich

Masha Shukovich, PhD is a writer, poet, storyteller, folklorist, teacher, and intuitive chef with ancestry and indigenous roots in the Balkans; the Mediterranean; and West, Central, and Northeast Asia (Siberia). She is the mother of Maya and Leela, a demigirl (she/they), a neurodivergent person, and an immigrant from Yugoslavia, a country that no longer exists.
Masha earned a BA in English Language & Literature from Belgrade University, Serbia, and MA and PhD degrees in Communication and Gender Studies from Texas A&M University. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College.
Masha is the recipient of numerous writing awards. Among other things, she was the winner of the 2017 San Francisco Writing Contest (Adult Fiction), a Semi-finalist in the 2019 American Short(er) Fiction Contest, and a finalist for the 2020 International Literary Awards (Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award). One of her pieces was shortlisted in the Fractured Literary 2020 Flash Fiction Contest, judged by Megan Giddings.
Her novel “The Taste of Names,” was shortlisted for the 2021 First Pages Prize, judged by Lan Samantha Chang, the Director of leading American MFA program, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Masha lives on Utah trails and online at mashashukovich.com

http://www.mashashukovich.com/
See profile
Award Category
Writing Mentorship Award 2022
Screenplay Award Category
N/A
WATER'S CHILD is a historical fantasy stemming from the obscure culture and virtually unknown mythology of the Balkans, the “dark other” of Europe. Its themes center around oppression, impossible love, primordial connection to both natural & supernatural, and the consequences of the choices we make.
This submission is private and only visible to judges.

Comments

Rebecca Megson-Smith Tue, 19/07/2022 - 15:43

Glorious opening, full of intrigue and suspense. The world you are creating is confidently shared and compelling to read about. Beautiful prose.

Nikki Vallance Wed, 20/07/2022 - 15:02

This is a wonderful and beguiling story. It feels distinctive and is told with a strong voice. I want to read on for sure, drawn in by the lyricism and the playful use of metaphors. Is it really women’s fiction or maybe mistakenly categorised here? I’d look at this to make sure you are pitching to the right part of the market. It deserves to find it’s readers!