Bio in brief

Kathryn Ma is the author of the widely praised novel The Year She Left Us, which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an NPR “Great Read” of the year. Her short story collection, All That Work and Still No Boys, won the Iowa Short Fiction Award and was named a San Francisco Chronicle “Notable Book” and a Los Angeles Times “Discoveries Book.” She is a recipient of the David Nathan Meyerson Prize for Fiction and has twice been named a San Francisco Public Library Laureate. Her latest novel, The Chinese Groove, is a New York Times Editors’ Choice, an Amazon Editors’ Pick, a People magazine Best Book, a Washington Post Best Audiobook, and an Indie Next Pick. It was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and is finalist for the California Book Award. The Chinese Groove is the 2024 selection for One City One Book by the San Francisco Public Library.

Additional Information

Short stories, reviews and essays by Kathryn have appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, More, Antioch Review, Kenyon Review, Northwest Review, Prairie Schooner, Slice, Southwest Review, Threepenny Review, TriQuarterly and elsewhere. Fellowships and residencies include Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, CastellodiMovimento, Yaddo and St. Mary's College of California.

Kathryn holds a bachelor’s degree with distinction and a master’s degree in history from Stanford University, where she received the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for Outstanding Service to Undergraduate Education. She earned a JD from the University of California, Berkeley and practiced law before becoming a writer. She has taught creative writing at the University of Oregon, San Francisco State University, University of San Francisco and elsewhere.

An active volunteer in the arts and education, Kathryn was the Founding Board Clerk of the San Francisco Friends School, a Quaker K-8 school, and a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, where she currently serves on the Emeritus Board. She lives with her family in San Francisco and has been a member of the True to the Mood Book Club for forty years.

Selected Interviews

“A Family Affair." Kathryn tells the story behind The Chinese Groove to Carole V. Bell in Publishers Weekly.

Buoyed by brilliant Bonnie: A Conversation with “Why We Swim” author Bonnie Tsui (book launch 2023).

Our Yunnanese Heritage: Talking with Dr. David Yang, peacebuilder, for Politics and Prose Bookstore (2023).

“Writing (Un)Reliable Optimistic Narrators." A Literary Hub conversation with Jane Ciabattari.

KQED Forum: Listen to Kathryn chat all things Groove with host Alexis Madrigal. Great tips from listeners about where to find the best views of the Outer Sunset District (2023).

LARB Radio Hour: Host Eric Newman and Kathryn on Dickens, Horatio Alger and The Chinese Groove (2023).