Ottessa Moshfegh is an American novelist and short story writer, born in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts. She is acclaimed for her darkly comic, psychologically incisive fiction, often exploring themes of alienation, obsession, and the grotesque aspects of human behavior. Her work is noted for its sharp prose, morally complex characters, and an unflinching look at the darker corners of contemporary life.

Moshfegh gained widespread recognition with her 2018 novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation, which follows a young woman’s attempt to escape the world through extreme hibernation and captured the attention of both critics and readers for its unique voice and cultural commentary. Other notable works include the short story collection Homesick for Another World (2017), Eileen (2015), which won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, and Death in Her Hands (2020).

Her writing blends elements of dark humor, existential reflection, and intimate psychological portraiture, making her one of the most distinctive contemporary voices in American literature. Moshfegh lives and works in the United States, continuing to publish fiction that challenges and provokes readers.