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Shawn Andre Cosby

ショーン・アンドレ・コズビー

Shawn Andre Cosby

Pen Names: S. A. Cosby（Pen name, uses initials）

Profile

Gender: Male
Born: 1973-08-04 （Newport News, Virginia, U.S.）
Nationality: American
Languages: English
Residence History: Gloucester, Virginia, U.S. → Mathews County, Virginia, U.S.

Career

Occupations: Author
Active Years: 2019-

Awards

Year	Award	Work	Category	Organization	Result
2021	Anthony Award	Blacktop Wasteland	Novel	Bouchercon / Anthony Awards	Won
2021	International Thriller Writers Award	Blacktop Wasteland	Hardcover Novel	International Thriller Writers	Won
2021	Macavity Award	Blacktop Wasteland	Mystery Novel	Macavity Awards	Won
2020	Los Angeles Times Book Prize	Blacktop Wasteland	Mystery/Thriller	Los Angeles Times	Won
2022	Dashiell Hammett Prize	Razorblade Tears	—	International Association of Crime Writers (IACW/NA)	Won
2022	Barry Award	Razorblade Tears	Novel	Barry Awards	Won
2022	BCALA Literary Awards	Razorblade Tears	Fiction	Black Caucus of the American Library Association	Won (Honor / Winner listed)
2022	Edgar Award	Razorblade Tears	Novel	Mystery Writers of America	Shortlisted
2021	Lefty Award	Blacktop Wasteland	Mystery Novel	Left Coast Crime	Shortlisted

Anthony Award

2021

Work: Blacktop Wasteland

Category: Novel

Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards

Result: Won

International Thriller Writers Award

2021

Work: Blacktop Wasteland

Category: Hardcover Novel

Organization: International Thriller Writers

Result: Won

Macavity Award

2021

Work: Blacktop Wasteland

Category: Mystery Novel

Organization: Macavity Awards

Result: Won

Los Angeles Times Book Prize

2020

Work: Blacktop Wasteland

Category: Mystery/Thriller

Organization: Los Angeles Times

Result: Won

Dashiell Hammett Prize

2022

Work: Razorblade Tears

Organization: International Association of Crime Writers (IACW/NA)

Result: Won

Barry Award

2022

Work: Razorblade Tears

Category: Novel

Organization: Barry Awards

Result: Won

BCALA Literary Awards

2022

Work: Razorblade Tears

Category: Fiction

Organization: Black Caucus of the American Library Association

Result: Won (Honor / Winner listed)

Edgar Award

2022

Work: Razorblade Tears

Category: Novel

Organization: Mystery Writers of America

Result: Shortlisted

Lefty Award

2021

Work: Blacktop Wasteland

Category: Mystery Novel

Organization: Left Coast Crime

Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Anthony Awards 5 appearances

Los Angeles Times Book Prize 1 appearances

Edition 41 (2020) Winner

Barry Award 2 appearances

Edition 25 (2021) Winner
Edition 26 (2022) Winner

Hammett Prize 1 appearances

Edition 31 (2021) Winner

Macavity Awards 2 appearances

Edition 35 (2021) Winner
Edition 36 (2022) Winner

Works

Major Works

My Darkest Prayer

2019 Crime fiction 224 pages

Early novel published by a small press. A Southern-set story of crime and revenge.

revengeSouthern societyviolence

Blacktop Wasteland

2020 Southern noir / Crime thriller 285 pages

A former criminal returns for one last job to help his family, only to be haunted by past violence. Critically acclaimed and award-winning.

familymasculinityeconomic hardshipcosts of crime

Adaptations

[Film (optioned)] Blacktop Wasteland

Razorblade Tears

2021 Southern noir / Crime novel 322 pages

Two fathers from different backgrounds seek justice for their sons and confront Southern history and racial tensions. Highly acclaimed and multiple-award nominated/winning.

fatherhoodraceforgivenessviolence and justice

Adaptations

[Film (optioned)] Razorblade Tears

All the Sinners Bleed

2023 Crime fiction / Southern noir 336 pages

Set in a small town, the sheriff and community confront recurring violence and the legacy of historical bloodshed. Explores community and Southern legacy.

communityhaunting historyjustice

King of Ashes

2025 Fantasy / Thriller (cross-genre) 352 pages

Limited information available; a long-form work showing the author's genre expansion. Detailed synopsis not available.

revengepoweridentity

Bibliography

My Darkest Prayer (2019)
Blacktop Wasteland (2020)
Razorblade Tears (2021)
All the Sinners Bleed (2023)
King of Ashes (2025)

Adaptations

Blacktop Wasteland — film rights optioned
Razorblade Tears — film rights optioned (Jerry Bruckheimer's company among bidders)

Style & Themes

Literary Style: Southern noir–based, hard-edged narrative voiceContemporary style focusing on characters' interiority and depictions of violence
Recurring Motifs: conflicted masculinityrace and Southern historyfamily and loyaltycycle of violence

Legacy

S. A. Cosby is one of the leading contemporary voices in Southern crime fiction, combining social themes with popular storytelling. He has received multiple major awards and nominations and attracted interest for screen adaptations.

In Popular Culture

Razorblade Tears was featured in Jimmy Fallon's Summer Reads Book Club
Multiple works have been optioned for film

Quotes

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.

Source: Interview / The New York Times (2021)

Trivia

His full name is Shawn Andre Cosby but he publishes as S. A. Cosby.
Worked various jobs early in his career (bouncer, construction, Lowe's) while writing.
Frequently treats the American South and its history as central themes in his work.