Shane Camoin recently won first place for his upcoming novel, Lightheaded, in the 2018 Utah Original Writing Competition. A first generation American, Shane was born in L.A. and raised in several cities around the U. S., including New York City, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City, where he resides today. Shane has traveled extensively and his experiences in various cultures, as well as his experiences being multiethnic and gender-fluid, inspired him to explore the complex nature of identity and the struggles people face with deeply rooted and often unspoken taboos and social mores. He has an MFA in creative writing and has lectured on the concept of identity in fiction at universities and symposiums across Asia, Europe, and North America.