Jen Sookfong Lee writes, edits, and sometimes sings badly on a podcast.
Her books include The Conjoined, nominated for International Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, The Shadow List, and Finding Home. Her memoir, Superfan, explores her lifetime obsession with pop culture, and was an instant bestseller before being a named a Best Book of 2023 by both the Globe & Mail and Apple Books. Called “a dazzling, kaleidoscopic memoir” by the Toronto Star, Superfan was also featured on the Today Show, The Social, and eTalk.
A familiar voice on radio and podcasts, Jen was a columnist for CBC Radio One’s On the Coast, All Points West, and The Next Chapter for many years and was also a frequent co-host of the Studio One Book Club. She also taught fiction at The Writers’ Studio Online at Simon Fraser University for six years. Currently, she co-hosts the literary podcast, Can’t Lit, with Dina Del Bucchia and acquires and edits for ECW Press.
Born and raised in East Vancouver, Jen now lives in North Burnaby with her son and very emotional rescue dog.
Jen’s Speaking topics
- The Intimate and the Universal: How Memoir Builds Connections and Community
Jen explores how writing about the self can forge deep connections between the author and the reader, but also between seemingly disparate communities. Each story—and each life—is unique and idiosyncratic, but at the heart of great memoir writing is the possibility of kinship and reciprocity, a relationship where humanity’s greatest emotions are shared, acknowledged, and understood.
- Talking to Kids About Tough Topics in the News
In an increasingly divided world where disturbing and traumatic news stories are broadcast every day, children are experiencing anxiety and confusion. In this talk, Jen, an experienced non-fiction children’s author and mother, guides educators and caregivers with tips on how to discuss issues such as war, homelessness, racism, and colonization with children, and how to answer their questions with compassion and clarity.
- Pop Culture, Representation, and Identity
Even though we think of pop culture as fun entertainment, the reality is that it holds a mirror up to each of us and our preoccupations, while also shaping the ways in which we perceive others and ourselves. In this talk, Jen discusses the impacts of representation (or the lack thereof) on marginalized communities, the harm that aspirational celebrity branding can enact, how increased visibility has and can change the creative industries and their fans, and the joy and connectedness we feel when a media asset truly reflects who we are.
- Writing, Inclusion, and Diversity
After twenty years working in publishing in every role one can imagine, Jen has a few things to say about the role of inclusion in the book industry. How can authors and publishing professionals navigate an industry that has struggled to enact systemic change? Here, Jen chats about why diversity, particularly at the management and executive levels, seems so hard to integrate, and why inclusion from the top down only means a greater variety of stories and voices, and a more compassionate and nimble industry as a whole.