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About

Marty Chan

Raised in Morinville—a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta—Marty Chan is a playwright, radio writer, television story editor, and young adult author. Marty graduated from the University of Alberta in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (English major/drama minor). He fell into improv comedy when he joined Edmonton Theatresports, but his paralyzing stage fright resulted in ”penguin arm“ acting, forcing him to abandon performing and take up writing. His signature play, Mom, Dad, I’m Living With A White Girl, has been produced across Canada, published three times, and broadcast as a radio drama. The stage play won an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Best New Work and the Adams Chinese Theatre Award at Harvard University. In October 2004, the play had a successful Off Broadway run in New York. Marty was a regular contributor to CBC Radio Edmonton from 1994 to 2000. His weekly commentary series, ”The Dim Sum Diaries,“ recounted his misadventures as the only Chinese kid in a small prairie town. These weekly commentaries were adapted into a half-hour television program (The Orange Seed Myth) which won a Gold Medal for Best Television Pilot at the Charleston World Film and Television Festival, and earned Marty a Gemini nomination for best writing in a children’s program. In 2004, Thistledown Press launched Marty’s first young adult novel, The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, which has become a hit with young readers across Canada. Resource Links magazine rated listed it as one of the Best Books of 2004 for grades 3 to 6. Marty was the first playwright in residence at the Citadel Theatre. He also served as the chair of the Edmonton Arts Council and taught playwriting at the U of A. He received an Arts Achievement Award and a Performance Award from the City of Edmonton. He also earned a Horizon Award from the university for his contributions to theatre. Currently, Marty resides in Edmonton with his wife Michelle and their two cats, Buddy and Max.

Books by Marty Chan

Izzy Wong’s Nose for News

by (author) Marty Chan

Today I Am

10 Stories of Belonging

by (author) Jael Richardson, Marty Chan, Michael Hutchinson, Chad Lucas, Angela Misri, Mahtab Narsimhan, Danny Ramadan, Liselle Sambury & Brandon Wint
illustrated by Rosena Fung

Dragon on the Loose

by (author) Marty Chan
illustrated by Grace Chen

Cosplay Crime

by (author) Marty Chan

L’hôpital hanté

by (author) Marty Chan
translated by Rachel Martinez

Kung Fu Master

by (author) Marty Chan

Final Cut

by (author) Marty Chan

Willpower

by (author) Marty Chan

Kylie the Magnificent

by (author) Marty Chan

Haunted Hospital

by (author) Marty Chan

Metamorphosis

by (author) Marty Chan

Shadow and Spell

by (author) Marty Chan

Melody and Myth

by (author) Marty Chan

Infinity Coil

by (author) Marty Chan

The Mystery of the Frozen Brains

by (author) Marty Chan

The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher

by (author) Marty Chan

The Mystery of the Cyber Bully

by (author) Marty Chan

Demon Gate

by (author) Marty Chan

Barnabas Bigfoot: A Hairy Tangle

by (author) Marty Chan

A Close Shave

by (author) Marty Chan

The Forbidden Phoenix

by (author) Marty Chan
lyrics by Robert Walsh
illustrated by Derek Mah

True Story

by (author) Marty Chan
illustrated by Lorna Bennett

Mystery Of The Mad Science Teacher

by (author) Marty Chan

The Mystery Of the Graffiti Ghoul

by (author) Marty Chan