معرفی
Katya Apekina serves as Elective Faculty in the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. A Moscow-born novelist, screenwriter, and translator, she bridges Russian and American literary traditions through innovative narrative forms.
Her educational foundation includes:
- BA from Columbia University
- MFA in Fiction from Washington University in St. Louis
Award-winning author of The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish (2018) and Mother Doll (2024), Apekina's creative practice spans literary fiction, screenwriting, and literary translation. Her work consistently explores intergenerational trauma, cultural displacement, and narrative experimentation through Russian-American lenses. Recent projects reveal intensified focus on maternal identity, historical consciousness, and cinematic influences in written form.
Her publications demonstrate a signature blend of psychological depth and structural innovation, moving fluidly between contemporary Los Angeles settings and historical Russian contexts. The 2024 novel Mother Doll exemplifies this with its tripartite narrative spanning Petrograd, New York, and modern LA.
Accolades highlight her impact:
- Stanford Libraries' William Saroyan International Prize shortlist (2020)
- Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (2018)
- Kirkus Best Book of 2018
- Bruce Geller Memorial Prize (2021)
Supported by the Elizabeth George Grant and Washington University fellowships, Apekina's creative development has been nurtured through residencies at VCCA, Ucross, Art Omi, and the Jan Michalski Foundation. Her radio adaptations for Wondery and Spooked demonstrate cross-medium storytelling expertise, while her teaching connects workshop practice to professional literary production.
Current work centers on intergenerational narratives through the lens of Russian nesting dolls, examining how historical trauma manifests across time through objects and oral histories.
