1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I’m very good at twirling pencils.
2. What is your nickname?
2. What is your nickname?
Mom
3. What is your greatest fear?
3. What is your greatest fear?
Going on holiday and not bringing enough good books to read!
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Honest, emotional, funny, timely, and easy for kids to read.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
I want to tell important stories. (Sorry, that’s six).
6. What book character would you be, and why?
6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be Josephine March (Little Women). Or Mia Tang (Front Desk)!
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would go back to 1995 (when I was in 5th grade) and tell this boy that I had a big crush on that I liked him.
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
She would say, whoa, you wrote a book about my life and my job managing the front desk of a motel? Cool!
9. Who is your greatest influence?
9. Who is your greatest influence?
Probably my kids.
10. What/who made you start writing?
10. What/who made you start writing?
I started writing as an outlet, a way to process the world around me and the dramatic ups and downs of immigrant life. It still is!
11. What is your favourite word and why?
11. What is your favourite word and why?
My favourite word is READ! Whenever I’m stuck, sad, bored, or lonely, I read!
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hmmm… that’s a hard one. I would read To Kill a Mockingbird.
Kelly Yang is an American citizen living and working in Hong Kong. She went to University of California at Berkeley at age 13, graduated at 17, and completed Harvard Law by age 20. She's now a columnist for the South China Morning Post and has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN.com. She is also the founder and director of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debate center in Asia. She's been on the BBC, CNN, Huffington Post, and more, to discuss education and learning. Her YouTube channel hosts an extraordinary global issues show for teens. Launched just in January, the episodes have been hitting upwards of 25,000 views each on Facebook. For more information, see www.kellyyang.edu.hk.
