Anna Qu

Anna Qu is a Chinese American writer. Her critically acclaimed debut memoir, Made In China: A Memoir of Love and Labor, was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick. Her work has appeared in Threepenny Review, Lumina, Kartika, Kweli, and Vol.1 Brooklyn, among others. She was a spring 2023 Shearing Fellow at UNLV's Black Mountain Institute. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College and teaches at New England College, Monmouth University, and Lighthouse, where she's a new mentor for the Book Project. She learned all about the agency side of the business while working at Trident Media Group, and uses that knowledge to help writers ready to publish their debut memoirs or novels. She’s just moved to the Denver area with her partner and their cat, Momo. She's currently at work on a novel and a collection of essays. Her work can be found at AnnaQu.com

What Anna looks for in a Book Project mentee:  I'm looking for thoughtful mentees ready to excavate and craft their best nonfiction work. My interests include all forms from hybrid essays, autofiction, and speculative nonfiction, to narrative memoirs, braided essays, and flash nonfiction. I've published essays and a memoir, and am currently working on a speculative historical novel and a memoir in linked essays. I'm open to all themes but ask students to push themselves to the threshold of risk and originality, and what that could mean for their work. I'm drawn to diverse, plot- or theme-driven narratives that focus on complex relationships and characters with universal stakes and nuanced implications. My cohort/s will explore storytelling, recently published literature, the workshop model, and the publishing industry, while creating a strong writing practice and community.