In today’s episode, we are joined by Jean Kwok, award winning, New York Times and internationally bestselling Chinese American author. Kwok is the author of novels Girls in Translation, Mambo in Chinatown, Searching for Sylvie Lee, and more. Her work has been published in twenty countries and taught in universities, colleges and high schools across the world. In this episode, Kwok shares how she overcame hardship when immigrating from Hong Kong to Brooklyn at five years old. Kwok explains how her experience tolerating failure has shaped her success today, reminding listeners that your potential for success is inversely proportional to your ability to overcome setbacks. Kwok delves into the nuanced lines that immigrants straddle between their cultural origins and their new homeland, urging listeners to chase a life that is authentically your own, rather than attempting to fulfill exterior expectations. Throughout the interview, Kwok draws deep connections between how her positionality and cultural identity reflect in her writing.
See some of her award-winning books below:

How to listen:
- Listen on Spotify
- Listen on Anchor
- Listen on Apple Podcasts


Leave a comment