The short story is I was born in Shanghai, moved to the US when I was five, and grew up in Metro Detroit. After college, I left for New York and spent some years working in advertising and tech before I started writing books. In the fall of 2014, I moved back to Detroit and have more or less been here ever since.
The longer story? I’ll try to write it out when I have more time!
Here’s my official author bio for you copy-and-pasters:
Jack Cheng is a Shanghai-born, Detroit-based author of inventive, character-driven stories for young readers. His Golden-Kite-winning middle grade novel, See You in the Cosmos has been translated into over twenty languages. His newest title, The Many Masks of Andy Zhou was named 2024 Best Book in Children’s Fiction by the Chinese American Librarians Association. He is a 2019 Kresge Artist Fellow and currently teaches Young People’s literature at Antioch University.
I love hearing from readers of all kinds. I also do talks and school visits. The best way to reach me is to email me (though, if you’re a kid, please contact me through a parent, teacher, or other adult). Given my writing schedule and personal obligations (I am, as of July 2024, a new father 😅), I don’t always respond, but know that I do read and appreciate every single message.