science fiction, fantasy and fairy tales. I was raised in a strict, Chinese family. To resist the stifling boredom of endless study, piano practice, and mindless obedience, I escaped into stories. Even now, my life feels like a prolonged coming-of-age saga where I am continually trying to find my voice, fight for self-expression and strive to reach impossibly high standards that are not quite as buried as they should be.
I write…
I read…
speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction. I also like the occasional dose of realistic fiction and magical realism, but I’m not sure how I feel about romantasy. I read for clever metaphors, evocative storyworlds, plot and character. I believe reading can transform communities for good. I became a librarian to build an army of readers.
constantly. Most of my stories originate from my dreams. Story snippets hurtle through my brain in uncontrollable, flashing images. I’ve suffered from chronic insomnia since my teens. I’ve switched careers like a costume designer throwing together an outfit. To date, I’ve worked as a pharmacist, a lecturer in film, animation and game design, a community arts educator, an author and a librarian.
In 2025, I was diagnosed with ADHD. The daydreaming was inattentiveness, my career changes were impulsive, dopamine-seeking behaviours. My random artistic projects were intense periods of hyperfocus, followed by burnout. My ADHD is both a superpower that fuels my creativity and my Achilles’ heel. I’m still at the beginning of my journey trying to piece together how to make my writing work with ADHD. I’ll try not to overshare.
I DREAM…
2025 Won the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award for The Wrangler’s Daughter (The Times/ Chicken House Fiction Competition)
2025 Won the Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Contest for The Wrangler’s Daughter (under the working title Love in the Age of Time Travel)
2022 Longlisted for the Bath Children's Novel Award (Apprentice Guide to Fairyside manuscript)
2022 Shortlisted for the Times/ Chicken House Fiction Competition (Apprentice Guide to Fairyside manuscript)
2021 Shortlisted for Aurealis Awards: Best Young Adult Short Story
2020 Won the CYA Conference Fiction prize
2020 Won the Wakefield Press YA Horror Anthology competition
2020 Shortlisted for the Affirm Press Mentorship Award
2020 Longlisted for the Queensland Stories, Songs and Rhymes picture book project
2020 Shortlisted for the Book Links Mentorship
2018 Shortlisted for the Deborah Cass Writing Prize
2017 Won the Conflux Short Story Competition
AWARDS
(My face when I win … or when I feel wakuwaku )