A Macau-born contemporary poet and writer regarded as one of Macau's leading younger poets. Educated at Peking University and the University of Toronto, she is the author of several collections including Exile in the Blossom Time, Naked Picnic and Evolution of Love, and a multiple winner of the Macao Literature Award and cross-strait poetry prizes, with work featured at international poetry festivals.
From the small city of Macau to poetry festivals in Beijing, Toronto and beyond — Un Sio San gave Macau's contemporary poetry a voice of its own.
Un Sio San is a Macau-born contemporary poet and writer, regarded as one of Macau's leading younger poets.
Profile
- Chinese Name: 袁紹珊
- English Name: Un Sio San
- Birthplace: Macau
- Domains: Culture · Literature
- Subject type: Poet · Writer
Background
Un Sio San was born in Macau. She studied at Peking University, earning double bachelor's degrees in Chinese literature and art (film and television directing), then took double master's degrees in East Asian Studies and Asia-Pacific Studies at the University of Toronto. This East-meets-West education shaped work that combines classical grounding with a contemporary outlook.
Career
I. Collections and writing
Un is the author of several poetry collections, including Exile in the Blossom Time (2008), Wonderland (2011), Naked Picnic (2013), Song of the Drifters (2014), Bitter Lotus Seed (2015) and Evolution of Love (2018), as well as essay collections on Macau and Greater China culture. She has served as deputy editor of the poetry journal Poetry East West and wrote the libretto for Macau's first locally originated chamber opera.
II. Prizes and the international stage
She is a multiple winner of the Macao Literature Award (poetry and essay), and has won the inaugural People's Literature "Literary Star" Poetry Grand Prize (2017) and first prize for new poetry at Taiwan's China Times Literary Award (2018), among others. She has held a Henry Luce Foundation Chinese poetry fellowship and a Vermont Studio Center residency, and her work has featured at festivals such as the International Poetry Nights in Hong Kong.
Key Achievements
- Author of several collections including Naked Picnic and Evolution of Love
- People's Literature Poetry Grand Prize (2017); China Times new-poetry first prize (2018)
- Multiple-time Macao Literature Award winner
- Featured at the International Poetry Nights in Hong Kong and other festivals