ABOUT ALLISON

Allison Baggott-Rowe is an author with disabilities hoping to build worlds that challenge and inspire readers to consider our place on the planet, especially in a world that can be challenging for disabled/chronically ill individuals to inhabit. In 2018, Allison delivered a TEDx talk on overcoming medical adversity, entitled "A Fall Does Not Define You, But How You Rise Will Redefine You."

Graduating with dual master's degrees (M.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from Harvard University in 2024 and M.A. in Psychology from Xavier University in 2018), Allison’s work often features liminal spaces. Her previous short stories and personal essays have been featured in several acclaimed works, including the 2023 international bestselling anthology You Can, You Will. She also contributed the winning piece for Inked in Gray's 2022 anthology contest, We Deserve to Exist. Allison has won multiple awards for her writing on Vocal+ and received Honorable Mention for NYCMidnight's Short Story competition in 2025.

Allison possesses a wealth of creative experiences, including performing as an aerialist for “Cirque,” defending the title of a Top 100 online USCF competitive female chess player in the United States from 2021 to 2025, and receiving national medals for excellence in Irish Music performance. In 2024, she won Harvard University's Judith Wood Prize for being a student who advocates for disability access while also graduating magna cum laude right on the heels of receiving the Swarthmore Book Award. She is an inductee to Marquis Who’s Who in America 2024.

When not writing from her favorite perch on the couch, Allison enjoys taking her dogs (Samwise and Rosie) to the park, embarking on adventures with her husband into the wilds of Ohio, and playing enchanting tabletop board games. She also has a pesky habit of diving into any body of water she finds, from the lap lane in the gym pool to the Aegean Sea.

Contact: abaggottrowe@alumni.harvard.edu