Erin Bow, or Erin Noteboom when she's writing poetry, is the author of six novels for young readers and three volumes of poetry. The most recent are A knife so sharp its edge cannot be seen (a book of poetry about science) and Simon Sort of Says (a middle-grade novel), which won a 2024 Newbery Honor, was long-listed for a 2023 National Book Award, and is currently on twenty state-level prize lists. Her work ranges from non-fiction to high fantasy, from children’s literature to literary fiction, and from formal poetry to experimental projects.
Other awards include a Governor General’s Award for Young People’s Literature (Canada’s top kidlit honor) and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (Canada’s other top kidlit honor). Trained as a physicist, Bow long made a living as a science writer, and is currently interested in how stories about science shape policy and the public imagination. She’s developing a coaching program to help scientists tell better stories.
At MacDowell, Bow worked on a novel for young readers. It is her eighth such novel and the second in the Butter and Owl series that will be published by Disney Hyperion in 2026. She also worked new poetry, completed an essay about storytelling in science, and spent a lot of time sketching - a new passion.
