Katen Bender

Karen E. Bender is an acclaimed American novelist and short story writer, best known for her short story collection Refund, a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Fiction and shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. She is also the author of novels Like Normal People, a Los Angeles Times bestseller and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and A Town of Empty Rooms, as well as additional collections including The New Order and The Words of Dr. L, the latter named one of Kirkus Reviews’ 100 Best Books of 2025. Her fiction has appeared in prestigious publications like The New Yorker and Granta, and she has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, teaches creative writing at various institutions, and lives in North Carolina with her family.