About Me

Kelly Zhang was born in mainland China, and immigrated to North America in her early teens. She is currently based in Ottawa, Canada. Her English language writing is represented by Hilary Harwell of KT Literary.
As a bilingual writer and literary translator (English/Chinese) of Picture Books through to Middle Grade novels, she aims to create and uplift stories that honor her cultural heritage & lived experiences, while inviting readers to discover peoples, cultures, and worldviews beyond their familiar ones.
She is the inaugural Translator Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Canada East, and member of the Author’s Guild, American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), and PEN America Translation Committee.
She is a freelance translator for the New York Times for Kids (China) and a regular contributor to the WorldKidLit Blog. Her writing and translations have been published in Words Without Borders, Sine Theta Magazine, the Paper Republic,  People’s Daily Newspaper (Overseas Edition), and Journey Planet.