About
Winner of the Costa book Award for Poetry
A Poetry Book Society Recommendation
Reviews
[An] extraordinary, brilliant and searingly honest collection...beautifully governed by formal rigour and literary excellence. – The Poetry Review
[Chan] is one of those rare poets who leave you looking up with a sense that you can engage even the smallest part of the world around you with a much greater intensity. – PN Review
Chan has picked a perfect title, one that is as expansive and evocative as the poems that it encompasses. – The Hong Kong Review of Books
As [a] governing metaphor and organising principle...the sport [of fencing] provides enlivening strategies for the poetic realisation of loss and rebellion. – The Guardian
Poems
Prose
Selected Publications
Review of English Studies (2022)
Guardian Review (2022)
Guardian Review (2022)
Guardian Review (2021)
Guardian Books (2021)
The Stinging Fly (2020)
Journal of British & Irish Innovative Poetry (2020)
Guardian Review (2020)
Guardian Review (2019)
Journal of American Studies (2018)
Events
Dates
19 Feb: Moderator, 100 Queer Poems Panel, The Verve Poetry Festival, Birmingham
21 Feb: Reading, Meet the World Poetry Panel, National Centre for Writing, UEA
24 Feb: Talk, Mary Jean Chan, English and Comparative Literary Studies, Warwick
1 Mar: Reading, After Sylvia: Poets on Plath, The National Poetry Library, London
9 Mar: Reading, Mary Jean Chan, Keith Jarrett & Faryal Velmi, Reading University
11 Mar: Reading, Poets of Chinese Heritage Panel, 2023 AWP Conference, Seattle
14 Apr: Reading and launch of Italian translation of Flèche, Ritratti di Poesia, Rome
5 May: Reading, 100 Queer Poems Panel, The Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts
22 May: Mary Jean Chan & Michael Symmons Roberts, Harris Manchester College
18 Jan: Reading, Dún Laoghaire Lexicon Library & Cultural Centre
3 Feb: Reading, English and Creative Writing, Lancaster University
21 Mar: Reading, Poetry As/And Criticism, Maynooth University
26 Mar: Reading and Q&A, The MSt in Creative Writing, Oxford
5 Apr: Reading, The 2022 Think Human Festival, Oxford Brookes
12 Apr: Moderator, Diana Bellessi with Leo Boix, Oxford Brookes
21 Apr: Reading, Sylvia Legris & Mary Jean Chan, Granta Books
17 May: Reading, Kayo Chingonyi & Mary Jean Chan, Birkbeck
19 May: Reading, Theo Kwek & Mary Jean Chan, Kellogg College
26 May: Judge, Jhalak Prize Awards Ceremony, The British Library
4 June: Reading, Pride Month Panel, Blackwell's Bookshop, Oxford
9 June: Reading, Oxford Review of Books June Issue Launch, Oxford
11 June: Reading, Poetry Showcase, The Welshpool Poetry Festival
12 Aug: Reading, We'll Tell You Everything Panel, Sing Lit Station
21 Aug: Reading, Asia Creative Writing Programme Poetry Showcase
22 Sept: Reading, East Side Voices, Daunt Books, Summertown, Oxford
27 Sept: Moderator, 100 Queer Poems Panel, Topping & Company, Bath
4 Oct: Reading, Abingdon Literary Society, Abingdon School, Abingdon
8 Oct: Reading, 100 Queer Poems Panel, Coast is Queer Literature Festival
19 Oct: Judge, The Wasafiri New Writing Prize Awards Ceremony, London
8 Nov: The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, Foyles Bookshop, London
11 Nov: Moderator, 100 Queer Poems Panel, Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre
19 Nov: Reading, Oxford University Poetry Society, Worcester College
25 Nov: Reading, Oxford High School, Girls' Day School Trust, Oxford
2021
16 Feb: Literature, Film & Theatre Seminars, University of Essex
17 Feb: The Centre for Poetry & Poetics, University of Sheffield
18 Feb: Foyle Young Poets Showcase, Poetry Society, London
23 Feb: LGBTQ History Month, Putney High School, London
27 Feb: Mary Jean Chan & Karen Solie, Kendal Poetry Festival
5 Mar: Talk, The Cambridge Union, University of Cambridge
8 Mar: Reading, Homerton College, University of Cambridge
20 Mar: Reading, MSt Creative Writing, University of Oxford
8 Apr: Reading & Poetry Prize Ceremony, Swarthmore College
10 Apr: Celebration of Nathalie Anderson, Swarthmore College
16 Apr: Desert Island Poems, The Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival
22 Apr: Natalie Diaz with Mary Jean Chan, Manchester Lit Fest
29 Apr: Oxplore Book Club (Live Poetry), University of Oxford
6 May: The Herbert Society, Jesus College, University of Oxford
21 May: The Creative Industries Festival, Oxford Brookes University
1 June: The 33rd Lambda Annual Literary Awards, A Virtual Ceremony
13 June: Mary Jean Chan & Will Harris, Ledbury Emerging Poetry Critics
29 June: Professionalising Your Poetry, The Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre
16 Sept: Reading and Q&A with Mary Jean Chan, University of Hong Kong
25 Sept: Writers and Migrants, Poetics of Home, A Chinese Diaspora Festival
3 Oct: Language, Home and Self, Poetics of Home, A Chinese Diaspora Festival
10 Oct: Mary Jean Chan, Andrew McMillan & Paul Mendez, Cheltenham Lit Fest
20 Oct: Reading by Mary Jean Chan, Inventions of the Text, Durham University
22 Oct: Kazim Ali, Mary Jean Chan & Cole Swenson, The Big Poetry Weekend
28 Oct: Reading and Q&A, Mary Jean Chan, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan
5 Nov: Reading and Q&A, Mary Jean Chan, Oxford High School, Oxford
10 Nov: Mary Jean Chan, Yousif Qasmiyeh & Ruth Padel, ORB, Oxford
6 Dec: Reading and Q&A, Mary Jean Chan, The University of Liverpool
2020
28 Jan: The Costa Book Awards Ceremony, Quaglino's, London
10 Feb: The Think Human Festival, Oxford Brookes University
22 Feb: The Verve Poetry Festival, Birmingham Hippodrome
9 Mar: Letters Home by Jennifer Wong, Poetry Cafe, London
14 May: International Dylan Thomas Awards Ceremony
15 May: Jhalak Prize, The Author's Club Online Lit Fest
29 May: Books Are Magic Readings, New York, USA
7 June: Words and Swords, The York Festival of Ideas
19 June: Masterclass, Scottish BAME Writers Network
28 June: Moving House by Theophilus Kwek, Carcanet Press
2 July: Seamus Heaney Centre First Collection Awards Ceremony
5 July: Ledbury Poetry Festival: Cathy Park Hong and Will Harris
9 July: UCL Take Flight Hub, Sustaining Your Career as a Poet
14 July: The National Literacy Trust Readings, Instagram Live
16 July: HSS Research Series, Oxford Brookes University
29 July: Queer Poetry Writing Week, Arvon at Home
5 Aug: The Poetry Book Society Virtual Book Club
24 Aug: The Edinburgh International Book Festival
19 Sept: The Hong Kong Shuffle Online Readings
1 Oct: National Poetry Day, Queen Anne's School
3 Oct: What We Read Now: An Online Poetry Series
11 Oct: Rainbow Writes: funded by FRIDA, Malaysia
7 Nov: Spoke and Bird, A Poetry Open Mic, Singapore
11 Nov: Literary Society, St Paul's Girls' School, London
15 Nov: The Hong Kong International Literary Festival
20 Nov: Queer Reads Library (Bilingual), Hong Kong
28 Nov: Ó Bhéal Winter Warmer Poetry Festival, Cork
Media
Readings and Interviews
January 2020
Faber & Faber
August 2020
The Edinburgh International Book Festival
Press
Reviews, Features and Interviews
Radio and Podcasts
Contact