Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2017) Winner
Lisa Ko
リサ・コー
Risa Kō
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- New York City, U.S.
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- New York City (born) → New Jersey (grew up) → San Francisco (early 2000s) → New York City (returned)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Editor, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1998-
- Affiliations
- Hyphen magazine (co-founder, books editor), Asian American Writers' Workshop (participant/teacher relationship), Visiting/adjunct teaching at institutions (e.g., Indiana University, The New School, CCNY)
- Influenced By
- Jhumpa Lahiri, Min Jin Lee, Gish Jen
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wesleyan University | — | English | BA | — | United States |
| San Jose State University | — | Library and Information Science | MS | — | United States |
| City College of New York | — | Creative Writing (MFA program) | MFA | — | United States |
Wesleyan University
English
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
Majored in English as an undergraduate.
San Jose State University
Library and Information Science
Degree:
MS
Year of Graduation:
2005
Country:
United States
Earned a master's degree in library and information sciences.
City College of New York
Creative Writing (MFA program)
Degree:
MFA
Year of Graduation:
2012
Country:
United States
Received an MFA while working multiple day jobs and taking classes at night.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction | The Leavers | — | PEN America | Won |
| 2017 | Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Adult Fiction) | The Leavers | Adult Fiction | Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) | Won |
| 2017 | National Book Award (Fiction) | The Leavers | Fiction | National Book Foundation | Finalist |
| 2017 | PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel | The Leavers | — | PEN America | Shortlisted |
| 2017 | Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award | The Leavers | Fiction | Barnes & Noble | Shortlisted |
| 2018 | Aspen Words Literary Prize (Longlist) | The Leavers | — | Aspen Words | Longlisted |
| 2018 | New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award for First Book | The Leavers | — | New York Society Library | Won |
| 2019 | International Dublin Literary Award (Longlist) | The Leavers | — | Dublin Literary Award | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize (Longlist) | Memory Piece | — | New Literary Project | Longlisted |
| 2024 | New American Voices Award (Longlist) | Memory Piece | — | Fall for the Book / New American Voices | Longlisted |
PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction
2016
Work:
The Leavers
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Won
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Adult Fiction)
2017
Work:
The Leavers
Category:
Adult Fiction
Organization:
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
Result:
Won
National Book Award (Fiction)
2017
Work:
The Leavers
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Finalist
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
2017
Work:
The Leavers
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Shortlisted
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award
2017
Work:
The Leavers
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Barnes & Noble
Result:
Shortlisted
Aspen Words Literary Prize (Longlist)
2018
Work:
The Leavers
Organization:
Aspen Words
Result:
Longlisted
New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award for First Book
2018
Work:
The Leavers
Organization:
New York Society Library
Result:
Won
International Dublin Literary Award (Longlist)
2019
Work:
The Leavers
Organization:
Dublin Literary Award
Result:
Longlisted
Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize (Longlist)
2024
Work:
Memory Piece
Organization:
New Literary Project
Result:
Longlisted
New American Voices Award (Longlist)
2024
Work:
Memory Piece
Organization:
Fall for the Book / New American Voices
Result:
Longlisted
Awards & Nominations
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2018) Nominee
Gotham Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2025) Nominee
Works
Major Works
The Leavers
2017 Novel (socially engaged fiction)Follows Polly, an undocumented immigrant who disappears, and her son Deming, adopted by a white couple; explores immigration, family, and identity. Inspired by reporting on prolonged detention of an undocumented woman.
ImmigrationFamilyIdentitySolitude
Memory Piece
2024 Novel (experimental, speculative elements)Follows three friends—a performance artist, a tech coder, and a housing activist—from the 1980s to the 2040s, exploring memory, community, and surveillance capitalism in New York City.
MemoryCommunitySurveillance capitalismFriendshipQueer themes
Bibliography
- The Leavers
- Memory Piece
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Delicate character-focused prose integrated with social themesMusicality in narrationExperimentation with form (especially in recent work)
- Recurring Motifs
- MemoryImmigration and identityCommunity and solidarityFamily bonds and ruptures
Legacy
After critical acclaim for her debut The Leavers, she has become an important voice in contemporary Asian American literature. Active in fellowships and teaching, her work is frequently taught in secondary and higher education. Her later book Memory Piece has also attracted critical attention and influenced a broad readership.
Academic Societies
- Frequently taught in Asian American Studies programs
In Popular Culture
- Memory Piece selected for Barack Obama's Summer 2024 reading list
- Chosen as an April 2024 read for the Belletrist Book Club (selected by Emma Roberts)
Quotes
-
“a bold reinvention of the Asian immigrant novel as great American novel.”
Source: National Book Foundation (judges' citation) (2017) -
My novels look at the relationship of Asian Americans to the US imperial project. They both also touch on the gap and tension between the stories we are told and stories we tell ourselves, and the importance—and complications—of community.
Source: Electric Literature (interview with Lisa Ko) (2024)
Trivia
- She began writing stories and keeping a journal from age five.
- Running a stand at craft shows and flea markets with her family later inspired aspects of The Leavers' writing process.
- Took a workshop taught by Jhumpa Lahiri; contemporaries included Cathy Park Hong and Min Jin Lee.