K I R S T I N C H E N is the author of the novels Bury What We Cannot Take (Little A, March 2018), named a Most Anticipated Book of 2018 by Electric Literature, The Millions, Book Bub, and The Rumpus, and Soy Sauce for Beginners, a Kindle First selection, an O, The Oprah Magazine “book to pick up now,” and a Glamour book club pick. She was the fall 2017 NTU-NAC National Writer in Residence in Singapore, and has received awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, and the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference. Her short stories have appeared in Zyzzyva, Hobart, Pank, and the Best New Singaporean Short Stories, among others. She holds an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Stanford University. Born and raised in Singapore, she currently resides in San Francisco, where she is working on a novel about the counterfeit handbag trade.
Big Chief (2025) Jon Hickey "Taut, timely, and brimming with suspense, Big Chief questions our notions of power and morality, holding a mirror to our crooked, calculating world. This is a monumental debut."
Killer Potential (2025) Hannah Deitch "Thrilling, audacious, and laden with more booby traps than a survivalist's lair, Killer Potential heralds the arrival of a stunning new literary voice. A riotous, wholly singular debut."
Homeseeking (2025) Karissa Chen "Sweeping, epic, yet deeply intimate, Homeseeking traces a pair of first loves and the gossamer thread that binds them across six decades and four nations as the world splits them apart, again and again. A spellbinding meditation on family, immigration, and the many faces of courage in times of hardship, this is a dazzling debut."
Those Opulent Days (2024) Jacquie Pham "Eerie, atmospheric, and shot through with peril, Those Opulent Days captures six heady, violent days in French-colonial Vietnam that will forever alter the lives of this unforgettable cast of characters. Both a riveting mystery and a moving historical drama, this is a glittering debut."
Shanghailanders (2024) Juli Min "Tender, atmospheric, and wholly captivating, Shanghailanders captures la douleur exquise of family through the shifting, shimmering lives of the beguiling Yang sisters and their enigmatic parents. Juli Min has established herself as a sharp chronicler of contemporary China - and of the ever-complicated matters of the heart."
Valley Verified (2024) Kyla Zhao "Sharp and incisive yet brimming with heart, Valley Verified establishes Kyla Zhao as one of our brightest chroniclers of Gen Z ambition, idealism, and passion. A riveting, satisfying read."
Hot Springs Drive (2023) Lindsay Hunter "Hot Springs Drive is a bold, unflinching exploration of female friendship, motherhood, and desire, with an unforgettable anti-heroine as its bloody, beating heart. I've read nothing like it."
Land of Milk and Honey (2023) C Pam Zhang "A dazzling, virtuosic meditation on seeking joy amid tragedy, beauty amid ruin. As hypnotic as it is profound, Land of Milk and Honey showcases C Pam Zhang's singular talent."
Now You See Us (2023) Balli Kaur Jaswal "A truly irresistible read. Intricately plotted, propulsive, and provocative, NOW YOU SEE US showcases an author at the peak of her talents."
The Sense of Wonder (2023) Matthew Salesses "Sharp, funny, and searingly original, The Sense of Wonder is a tour de force from one of the most inventive writers working today."
Stephanie Wrobel "More than a page-turner—although it's undoubtedly that—Darling Rose Gold plumbs the depths of this poisoned mother-daughter relationship, asking probing questions about why we all hurt the ones we love. An explosive debut from a thrilling new voice."
The Trailing Spouse (2018) Jo Furniss "From the very first sexy, sinister, and all-out thrilling chapter, The Trailing Spouse grabs you by the collar and never lets go. Against the glittering backdrop of contemporary Singapore, Furniss’s expat characters navigate their adopted home—and, at times, their adopted identities—searching for answers amid the darkness that lines even the shiniest of places. This is a mesmerizing domestic thriller that both terrifies and enchants."
The Map of Salt and Stars (2018) Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar and Zeyn Joukhadar "The Map of Salt and Stars is the sweeping, thrillingly ambitious tale of Nour, Rawiya, and their parallel searches for home. In twin narratives that unfold eight hundred years apart, Joukhadar captures the unrelenting courage of those who persist amid the trials of exile. A truly remarkable debut."
