We are thrilled to announce the 2025 cohort of honorable mentions, finalists, and grand prize winners of the Betty L. Yu & Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, established in partnership with TaiwaneseAmerican.org in honor of Charles Yu’s parents, longstanding leaders in the Taiwanese American community.
Now in its fourth year, the prize continues to grow in reach and resonance, with writer Grace Loh Prasad joining the judging panel this year alongside returning judges Charles Yu and Alvina Ling. This year’s submissions were urgent, lyrical, biting, and tender. Reviewing the entries this year, we could not help but reflect on how each submission has offered us clarity and care, reminding us of how essential it is to tell our own stories, especially now.
We believe storytelling is a political act—and a generative one. At a time when many in our communities are spoken for or excluded, we remain committed to amplifying voices that challenge, reimagine, and expand Taiwanese American identity. While creative writing contests can inherently reinforce scarcity, we hope this one did the opposite: prompting reflection, creating new work, and affirming that there is space—and need—for your voice. The prize may spotlight a few selections each year, but our doors are always open to Taiwanese American writers at every stage and season of their craft.
The 2025 winning selections span fiction, memoir, poetry, and hybrid forms. Grand Prize winners’ works are now available on TaiwaneseAmerican.org, with finalist and honorable mention pieces to be published throughout the year.
Thank you to every writer who submitted their work, and congratulations to this year’s cohort.
After a blind deliberation period, the judges have selected the following:
ADULT CATEGORY
Grand Prize Winner
Angelica Lai | “How Far We Stray”
Angelica Lai is a writer based in Seattle. Her fiction and nonfiction works have appeared in the book collection “Six Words Fresh Off the Boat,” Literary Mama, Columbia Journal, Paper Darts, Firewords, and The Fourth River, among others. She is a senior editor for Slant’d, a nonprofit independent publishing house empowering AAPI creatives. When not writing, working as a digital marketing manager, or negotiating with her toddler, you might find her making food puns on Instagram @punsonaplate.
From the judges: “Combining vivid physical descriptions with nostalgic reflections, this tale of an adult daughter returning to her deceased mother’s homeland is simultaneously tender and unsentimental. Intelligent and polished… a clear standout.”
Finalists
Grace A. Lin – Grace Lin is a writer who lives in both Knoxville, TN and Detroit, MI. She works in the tech and nonprofit sectors, but in her free time, she enjoys writing sports commentaries, recipes, and foraging guides. Her work has been published by Taxonomy Press and Pearl Press. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, planning food popups, and cheering for the Mets. @dtfdumpling
Lavinia Liang – Lavinia Liang is a writer and an attorney. She is also a former journalist, and her writings have been published in The Guardian, The Atlantic, TIME, VICE and elsewhere.
Christine Huang 黃凱琳 – Christine Huang 黃凱琳 (she/her) is a queer Taiwanese-American writer, facilitator, and practitioner of insurgent pedagogies. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Offing, ANMLY, Foglifter, and The New York Times, and she was a finalist for the 2025 PERIPLUS fellowship. She stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and all oppressed people struggling against imperialism, white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and all systems of domination.
Honorable Mentions
Katie R. Yen – Katie R. Yen writes fiction and poetry through a multicultural lens. Her work has been published in Fathom, Third Coast, America and elsewhere. You can also find her smiting aphids on her roses while muttering in Spanglish and Chingrish. For more of her work, visit www.katieyen.com and follow her @katiedowrite.
brenda Lin – brenda Lin is a writer, literary translator, and educator based in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the author of Wealth Ribbon: Taiwan Bound, America Bound (University of Indianapolis Press, 2004). Her writing has appeared in Fourth Genre and WSQ; her translations of Taiwan Indigenous writer, Apyang Imiq’s essays have appeared in Asymptote, Gulf Coast Journal, and The Kenyon Review. brenda is currently working on translating Imiq’s essay collection, Growing Up in a Tree Hollow. She is also writing a second book of essays on homecoming, motherhood, and the intersection between text and textile. She writes occasional, short pieces on https://b-lin.ghost.io/
G.L. Blandford – George “Leo” Blandford is a clinical social worker, health equity leader, and cultural strategist whose work spans global humanitarian response, regional policy, and hyperlocal healing. With over two decades of experience—from post-tsunami Sri Lanka to the towns of Outer Cape Cod—Leo works to bridge systems-level strategy with centered community care. As Director of Health Equity & Community Impact at a rural community health center, he fosters collaborative pathways that address structural barriers while uplifting culturally rooted wellness practices. He is committed to diversity, belonging, and place-based justice. Leo’s current focus is a hybrid cultural strategy initiative grounded in rural awareness, narrative change, and intergenerational healing.
COLLEGE CATEGORY
Grand Prize Winner
Kelly Chu | “Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken”
Kelly Chu is a second-generation Taiwanese American writer. These recipes are her love letters—to the island her family calls home, to the diaspora we’ve built, and to all the flavors lost in translation.
From the judges: “Playful and poignant, this submission infuses simple family recipes with deep emotional resonance. A bold and original take on themes of food, family, and inheritance.”
Finalists
Tristan Tang – Tristan Tang is a college freshman with an intended major in finance. Both of his parents are from Taiwan (Taipei and Tainan) so he grew up surrounded by all things Taiwanese and memories of annual trips to Taiwan. In his free time, he likes to thrift, write short stories, find new spots for sunsets, learning DJing, and is involved in Homeroom UW, an editorial magazine uplifting the voices of Asian-Americans.
Shani Chiang – Shani Chiang was born in Tainan, Taiwan, grew up in Houston, Texas, and has also spent time living in Taipei and Taichung. She is a college senior at Rice University studying Business (Finance) and English. Shani has conducted cultural research in Taiwan as a Minter Summer Scholar, written for Taiwan News, a digital newspaper based in Taipei, and volunteered teaching English at aboriginal schools in Taiwan. “Thank Yous from an Ocean Away” is an excerpt from her senior thesis memoir reflecting on her Taiwanese-American identity. Her favorite Taiwanese food is egg pancakes (蛋餅), which she can eat for breakfast every morning for a month straight.
Honorable Mention
Alain Tsui 徐 – Alain Tsui 徐 (he/they) is a queer writer currently based in Southern California. A half-Hongkonger with Shanghainese and Taiwanese roots, Alain considers himself as being from all the bits and pieces of the different places he grew up in. When they’re not being a full-time university student studying mathematics, Alain can be found illustrating, playing the er-hu, and of course, as essential as breathing itself, writing poetry.
HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY
Grand Prize Winner
Davina Jou is a writer and illustrator from Taiwan. They are currently the lead editor for the online literary arts magazine Pen & Palette. You can find them on Instagram @toto.dreamer
From the judges: “‘Jaded Girls’ is a ghost story which deftly weaves past and present together to tell a compact, complete narrative that also hints at more. There is much to admire in its originality and moments of humor and surprise. A polished piece of writing.”
Finalists
Sophia Xin-Rui Wong – Sophia Wong is a high school sophomore. She is a multi-disciplinary artist and is involved in photography, poetry, and film. She has been recognized nationally and internationally by Scholastic Arts and Writing, YoungArts, and Women’s Founder’s Network. Outside of art, she is a passionate advocate for literacy, gun violence prevention and LGBTQ+ rights. As the founder of Books Beyond Barriers, Sophia has donated over 2,000 books to underserved communities including Title 1 schools, shelters, and juvenile detention centers. She is also the creator of Dear Queer Youth, an international literary and arts magazine for queer youth, which amplifies LGBTQ+ voices and has raised thousands of dollars for organizations like The Rainbow Library.
Charis Chu – Charis Chu will be a high school senior this fall and the president of the Taiwanese Culture Club. She has been besotted with the art of writing ever since she fell in love with literature. When Charis isn’t daydreaming about frolicking in the Irish countryside, you can find her curled up with a Daniel Handler novel or covering her eyelids with garish colors. She is on Instagram @lerlerchu, her club is @chhstaiwanesecultureclub.
Honorable Mentions
Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai – Caroline is currently a high school junior. She loves to read and is easily immersed into books of all genres, especially those with dystopian themes. In addition to reading, she plays soccer, engages with her school’s robotics team, and writes all sorts of literary genres for fun. This is her first time participating in a writing contest and is excited to submit more in the future. She hopes to feed her passion by continuing to study English in college.
Lila Raj – Lila Raj is a high school junior who is passionate about writing, music, and psychology. She is a recipient of numerous Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and will attend the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop in the summer of 2025. When she’s not writing, you can find Lila curating her many Spotify playlists or playing the NYT Spelling Bee.
Valerie Huang – Valerie Huang is a Taiwanese American high school student based in Taiwan. When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys listening to sad music and spending too much money at overpriced cafés.
Emma Luu – Emma Luu is passionate about writing, specifically journalism, as a means of uplifting those around her. She enjoys reflecting on her past through creating personal essays and writing articles for the L.A. Times High School Insider about topics that matter to her. Besides writing, she is a major art enthusiast and uses painting as a way to relieve stress. While she doesn’t quite know what her dream job is, she wants to travel the world, experience different cultures, and form connections with new people. In her free time, you can find her blogging, making some sort of craft, or journaling.
MIDDLE GRADE
Grand Prize Winner
Alice Kuok | “Wǒ de”
Alice Kuok was born and raised in Taiwan. She lives in Taipei and is a current eighth grader. In 2024, her writing was recognized by TaiwaneseAmerican.org, where she was a finalist in the middle school category. When she isn’t writing, she can be found wandering around Tamsui Old Street with her family, avoiding the humid outdoors in the summer, or fending off scratches from her two loving cats.
From the judges: “‘Wo de’ is a story about two school boys in Taiwan and their growing friendship. It is observant, subtle and evocative, full of sensory detail that make the world feel rich and alive. For a young writer, this story is remarkable for its tone and sense of longing and nostalgia. We look forward to hearing more from this impressive young voice.”
Finalist
Christine Lin – Christine Lin is a middle school student whose roots travel back to parents of both Taiwanese and American heritage. Growing up under the influence of traditional Taiwanese culture, she enjoys playing the violin in her free time and cooking for family dinners.
Honorable Mentions
Evan Andrew Chan – Evan hopes you enjoyed his book, which he hopes will fix any of your toilet problems of the heart! His favorite book is A Field Guide to Fish, and if you ever met him, you would find him to be a fish fact encyclopedia! For instance, did you know Port Jackson sharks lay spiral eggs to hide them in rocks with nooks and craigs? One of Evan’s favorite activities is taking care of his dog, twelve fish, and two bunnies, which involves a simple wake-up protocol he calls B.D.F.A.E. (Brush. Dress. Feed Animals. Eat.)
Layla Kumar – Layla Mei Kumar (古龍毅), age 13, is the daughter of a Taiwanese-American mother and an Indian-American father. She lives in NYC and attends one of the first English-Mandarin bilingual schools in the country. Layla appreciates writing all types of genres, but especially fiction containing animals. Her first published story was featured in “Frightopia: The Most Spooky and Surprising Stories of 2023.” It was about a Taiwanese girl connecting with her broken family, who are celebrating their first American holiday after a move.
Alyssa Wu – For me, Taiwan is summer. Taiwan is getting back cramps from sitting in a plane for half a day, sighing in relief when you finally see that ad my airline puts up every time when we’re five or so minutes from landing. Taiwan is trudging miles in the sweltering heat just to see an ancient temple (but weirdly enough still enjoying it anyway), being eternally grateful to buildings blasting A/C, going to Raohe Night Market and convincing my parents I’m not too old to play pinball, struggling to communicate to my relatives with my chopped Chinese, and so many relatives that if I tried to put their names here, we would need a whole other page.
Laurie Fang – Laurie Fang has lived in Taiwan all her life, is a twin, and loves to read.
About the Prize
The Betty L. Yu & Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes were established to honor the lifelong contributions of Betty Lin Yu and Jin-Chyuan Yu to the Taiwanese American community, including founding organizations such as TACL-LID, the South Bay Taiwanese-American School, and NATEA-SC. Their legacy continues in this prize, which uplifts emerging and established writers whose work explores identity, community, memory, and resistance.
About the 2025 Judges
Charles Yu is a Taiwanese American writer. He is the author of the novels How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and Interior Chinatown as well as the short-story collections Third Class Superhero and Sorry Please Thank You. In 2020, he received the National Book Award for Fiction. He will judge the adult and college categories.
Grace Loh Prasad writes frequently on the topics of diaspora and belonging. Her memoir, The Translator’s Daughter, was published in March 2024 by Mad Creek Books/The Ohio State University Press. The Translator’s Daughter is about navigating linguistic, cultural, political, and generational barriers as a Taiwanese American immigrant trying to build a connection with her birthplace.
Alvina Ling is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she’s worked since 1999. She edits children’s books for all ages, from picture books to young adult. In 2021 she received the Medal for Editorial Excellence from the Center for Fiction. She will judge the middle school category.
