Rebecca F. Kuang is an American fantasy and historical fiction author. She is best known for her Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. Time magazine included Yellowface in its list of "100 must-read books of 2023".
Rebecca F. Kuang was born in Guangzhou, China. She moved to the United States with her family when she was four and grew up in Dallas, Texas.
Rebecca attended Georgetown University, where she began writing her debut novel during a gap year in China. Kuang further honed her literary skills with advanced degrees from Magdalene College, Cambridge, and University College, Oxford, focusing on Chinese studies and contemporary Chinese issues. She is pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University.
Rebecca F. Kuang debuted with her first novel, The Poppy War, in 2018. It became part of a trilogy that delves into Chinese military fantasy. This series set her apart in the fantasy genre, earning her several awards and accolades, including a place on Time magazine's list of the 100 best fantasy books of all time. Her narrative prowess continued with Babel: An Arcane History, which also received critical acclaim and solidified her reputation as a leading voice in speculative fiction.
In 2023, Kuang released Yellowface, a satirical novel that marks her foray into literary fiction. This book tells the story of June Hayward, a white author who, after witnessing the accidental death of Athena Liu, a more successful Asian American novelist, steals Athena's manuscript and publishes it as her own. Juniper Song navigates the complex terrain of the literary world, where deceit brings temporary success but also looming exposure threats. Yellowface explores themes of cultural appropriation, identity, and the ethics of storytelling.
Kuang's work reflects her academic and personal interests, exploring cultural history and identity through compelling narratives. She is an influential figure in modern literature, recognized for her insightful commentary on cultural interaction and representation.
Yellowface has won several awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction, the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the Listen Award from the American Library Association.
Photo credit: rfkuang.com
