Jessica Zhan Mei Yu
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Jessica Zhan Mei Yu is a writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Melbourne. In 2021, she was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Literature Award in the Unpublished Manuscript category. Her debut novel, But the Girl, was published by Jonathan Cape (UK) and Penguin Random House (Australia) this year and will be published with Unnamed Press in the US next March. Her essay collection, All the Stain is Tender, is set to follow.
Books by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu
But the Girl is a wry and razor-sharp coming-of-age novel about belonging, alienation, and the exquisite pleasure and pain of girlhood, for readers of The Idiot by Elif Batuman and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.
More features
The Fresh Voices of 2023 share their advice with fellow writers. Whether you’re aspiring to get your book published or looking for writing tips, these words of wisdom will help.
We caught up with Jessica Yu to learn more about her writing routine and the shortlist award that helped launch her career.