Jonathan Chan

Poet, Creative Nonfiction Writer

Singapore
Singapore
SG
Email: 
jonbcy@gmail.com
Website: 
jonbcy.wordpress.com

Author's Bio

Jonathan Chan is a writer, editor, and translator of poems and essays. His first collection of poems, going home (Landmark, 2022), was a finalist for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2024. His second collection of poems is bright sorrow (Landmark, 2025). He serves as Managing Editor of the poetry archive poetry.sg. He reads poetry and creative nonfiction for The Plentitudes and PR&TA and his reviews have appeared in Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, SUSPECT, and The Rumpus. 

Publications & Prizes

Creative Nonfiction

Journals:
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
,
Christianity Today
,
Ekstasis Magazine
,
Inheritance
,
Quarterly Literary Review Singapore

Poetry

Anthologies:
Malaysian Places and Spaces (Maya Press, 2024)
,
Songs of Revolution: Poems Against Oppression (Sunday Mornings at the River, 2024)
,
A Love Letter to a Thousand Yesterdays: a poetry anthology (Sunday Mornings at the River, 2023)
,
Sunday Mornings at the River Poetry Diary 2024 (Sunday Mornings at the River, 2023)
,
Connecticut Bards Poetry Review 2022 (Local Gems Press, 2022)
,
Crazy Little Pyromaniacs (Math Paper Press, 2020)
Books:
bright sorrow (Landmark Books, 2025)
,
going home (Landmark Books, 2022)
Journals:
Amethyst Review
,
Asymptote
,
Bitchin’ Kitsch
,
Banyan Review
,
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
,
Cicada
,
Consequence
,
Copperfield Review
,
Ekstasis Magazine
,
Entropy
,
Eratio Poetry Journal
,
Eunoia Review
,
Fare Forward
,
Fathom
,
Geez
,
Global Poemic: Kindred Voices on the Era of COVID-19
,
Great River Review
,
Gulf Coast
,
Idle Ink
,
Inheritance
,
Kindling
,
La Piccioletta Barca
,
Last Leaves Magazine
,
Letters Journal
,
Line Literary Review
,
Lumiere Review
,
Magma
,
Mayday Magazine
,
Minarets
,
New Note Poetry
,
Of Zoos
,
Pamenar Press
,
Pangolin Review
,
Poetry Pacific
,
Quarterly Literary Review Singapore
,
Rabbit
,
samfiftyfour
,
Second Chance Lit
,
Shanghai Literary Review
,
Silver Birch Press
,
Solum Journal
,
Studio
,
Stylus Poetry Journal
,
Subnivean
,
Thimble Literary Magazine
,
Tiger Moth Review
,
Two Hawks Quarterly
,
Voicemail Poems
Prizes won: 
  • Poem 'prayer (xxii)' received The Grantchester Award from The Orchards Poetry Journal.
  • Poems ‘patience (ii)’ and ‘peace (ii)’ long listed for the Fare Forward Poetry Competition 2024,
  • Poetry collection going home shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2024: Best Debut – Poetry in English
  • Poem 'elegy' longlisted for the 2024 Previously Published Poem Prize by Palette Poetry
  • Poem 'recital' nominated for Porlock Poetry's Robert Siegel Prize by Eunoia Review
  • Poem 'recital' nominated for 2024 Best of the Net by Eunoia Review
  • Poem ‘A&E’ shortlisted for The Cambridge University Poetry & Prose Prize, March 2023
  • Poem ‘milton mansion’ nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2023 by Free Verse Revolution. 
  • Poem ‘saying a blessing’ longlisted for the Briefly Write Poetry Prize 2022, Briefly Write, United Kingdom, October 2022 
  • Poem ‘atelophobia’ awarded Honorable Mention at the Fare Forward Poetry Competition, Fare Forward, United States, September 2022
  • Poem ‘mangrove’ shortlisted for Catharsis 2022, Singapore, July 2022
  • Poem ‘terra ujong’ nominated for The 2021 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry by Singapore Unbound.
  • Poem ‘logbook’ shortlisted for Catharsis 2021, Singapore, August 2021
  • Poem ‘guilt-free’ shortlisted for Catharsis 2020, Singapore, August 2020

Watch

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
Asian American, Chinese, Christian, Korean, Southeast Asian
Fluent in: 
Chinese, English, Spanish
Born in: 
New York, NY
New York
Raised in: 
Singapore
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Apr 20, 2025