Weike Wang is a Chinese-American author, well-known for her unique and insightful fiction. She was born in Nanjing, China, and spent her formative years in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Wang earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health from Harvard University, before going on to receive her MFA from Boston University. Her academic background in scientific fields has greatly influenced her writing, providing a distinctive perspective that sets her work apart.
Wang's fiction has been featured in several prestigious literary journals, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train, The Journal, Ploughshares, Redivider, and SmokeLong Quarterly. Her writing is known for its wry humor and intense emotion, capturing the complexities of modern life with a keen eye for detail. Her debut novel, "Chemistry," was published in 2017 and quickly gained critical acclaim for its unique portrayal of a woman struggling to balance her personal and professional lives.
"Chemistry" tells the story of an unnamed narrator, an immigrant from China pursuing her PhD in chemistry at Boston University. When her boyfriend proposes to her, she finds herself unable to accept, torn between her own fears and societal expectations. As she struggles to complete her doctorate, she is also grappling with the memories of a tumultuous childhood and the weight of her parents' expectations. The novel explores themes of identity, love, and pressure, offering a poignant and often humorous look at the human condition.
Since the publication of "Chemistry," Wang has received numerous accolades for her work. She was named a "5 Under 35" honoree by the National Book Foundation, and her novel received the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction, the Ploughshares John C. Zacharis First Book Award, and a Whiting Award. Her writing has also been featured in The New Yorker. Wang currently resides in New York City, where she continues to write and teach.