Lillian Li
Lillian Li | |
|---|---|
Li at the 2018 Texas Book Festival. | |
| Born | Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) University of Michigan (MFA) |
| Occupation | Author |
| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Known for | Fiction |
| Notable work | Number One Chinese Restaurant |
| Website | lillianliauthor |
Lillian Li is a Chinese American author.[1] Her novel Number One Chinese Restaurant was an NPR Best Book of 2018[2] and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[3][4] She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[5]
Early life
Li was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in Maryland. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and her Master of Fine Arts in fiction from the University of Michigan's Helen Zell Writers’ Program.[6]
Career
Li has taught at the University of Michigan.[7] She writes for the Michigan Quarterly Review.[7] Her work has been featured in The New York Times,[8] Granta,[9][10] One Story,[11] Bon Appétit,[12] Travel + Leisure,[13] The Guardian,[14] Guernica,[15] Glimmer Train,[16] and Jezebel.[17]
Number One Chinese Restaurant was her first novel.[18] The inspiration for writing Number One Chinese Restaurant came from a summer Li spent working twelve-hour shifts at a Peking duck restaurant outside of Washington, D.C.[19][14]
Published works
- Li, Lillian (April 30, 2016). "Jackson". In Lewis, Brian James (ed.). Spark: A Creative Anthology. Vol. VII. Empire & Great Jones Little Press. ISBN 9781680730258.
- Li, Lillian (May 16, 2019). "Coach Ray". One Story. No. 253.
- Li, Lillian (February 25, 2020). Number One Chinese Restaurant. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250229328.
- Li, Lillian (February 17, 2026). Bad Asians: A Novel. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250363626.
Awards
- Hopwood Award in Short Fiction[20]
- Glimmer Train New Writer Award[20]
References
- ^ Li, Lillian (January 7, 2019). "Interview with Debut Author Lucy Tan". lillian li, author. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Chow, Kat (November 27, 2018). "Number One Chinese Restaurant: A Novel". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Number One Chinese Restaurant". Women's Prize for Fiction. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "2018 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Goodreads. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Milek, Henry (August 2018). "Interview: Lillian Li". Midwestern Gothic. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Li, Lillian (August 8, 2019). "A Brick House for Books: Lillian Li on Writing with the Youth of the Neutral Zone". Michigan Quarterly Review. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Li, Lillian (December 25, 2018). "Opinion | Nothing Is More American Than Chinese Food on Christmas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Granta. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Li, Lillian (March 5, 2013). "Blue Jay". Granta. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Coach Ray". One Story. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Li, Lillian (April 5, 2018). "The 3 Dishes I'm Glad I Ruined". Bon Appétit. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Pushkin Press. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ a b Li, Lillian (August 31, 2019). "'Customers looked right through me': what I learned working in a Chinese restaurant". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Guernica. Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Glimmer Train. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Li, Lillian (July 27, 2015). "The Best Place to Get Naked with Your Mom Is the Korean Day Spa". Jezebel. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Lillian Li". Macmillan. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Prastien, Lauren (July 12, 2018). "A Cage Over Your Heart: An Interview with Lillian Li". Michigan Quarterly Review. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Hunt, Alden (June 13, 2018). "Lillian Li '13 Blends Dark Comedy With Chinese Cuisine in Her Debut Novel". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved February 15, 2026.