MEET

Long Bio

Rachel Phan (she/her/hers), a Chinese Canadian bestselling author, was born and raised in a small town in Southern Ontario, where she was one of only two racialized people in her class. Her parents—two former refugees from Vietnam—owned the Chinese restaurant in town.

Growing up, Rachel always felt a little lost and a lot lonely. She sought escapism from her provincial life by writing the stories she desperately wanted to see, ones where a Chinese-Vietnamese girl like her was the main character. It was no surprise, then, when she got two journalism degrees and became a professional writer.

Rachel’s work often explores the impacts of racism, assimilation, fetishization, and forced displacement on one’s feelings of identity, belonging, and self-worth.

Her instant national bestselling book, Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging, was released on April 1, 2025.

She is based in Toronto, where she lives with her partner and their genius dog. Follow her on Instagram @rachelmphan.

Short Bio

Rachel Phan (she/her/hers) is a Toronto-based Chinese Canadian author. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Master of Journalism program, she and her work have been featured on CBC and in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Toronto Star, HuffPost, National Post, Chatelaine, and Maclean’s. Her instant national bestselling book, Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging, was released in 2025.