Hi, I’m Char! I am a Cantonese diaspora writer and settler who grew up in the unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories, otherwise known as Vancouver, BC in Canada. I go by “Charmaine,” “Char” or 李倩文, and my pronouns are “she” and “they.”
Writing
My first novel, Crash Landing, won the 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award in Young People’s Literature – Text, the Sheila A. Egoff Prize in Children’s Literature, and the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Award for BC Authors. Shorter works of mine can be found in The Tyee, SAD Mag, Plenitude Magazine, and more.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of British Columbia. My influences and inspirations include the rugged natural landscape of the Pacific Northwest, my Chinese heritage, birds, boardsports, and the people and places I have had the privilege of meeting. I am a proud member of the Writers’ Union of Canada.
Outside of creative fiction and non-fiction, I have 8+ years of experience in the communications, marketing, and SEO industry.
Music
Music has long been a major part of my life. I began playing piano at age 6 and earned my Associate diploma (ARCT) at age 17 from the Royal Conservatory of Music. I also learned how to play guitar in my teens, taught piano and music theory throughout my undergrad, and worked for an online piano lessons platform writing educational articles.
Today, I offer piano lessons in the Metro Vancouver area. For more information on piano lessons, click here.