OSU to host New York Times bestselling author Jessamine Chan on April 17

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | egosney@okstate.edu

On April 17, Oklahoma State University will welcome author Jessamine Chan to campus for a free public reading and discussion.

Supported by the OSU Department of English, the OSU Creative Writing Program, the Fae Rawdon Norris Endowment and the OSU Creative Writers Association, “An Evening with Jessamine Chan” was organized by OSU creative writing assistant professor Gene Kwak and graduate student Gage Saylor.

“Oftentimes students may feel like authors are only long-dead, canonized figures whose results or careers would be impossible to emulate,” Kwak said. “It’s important for OSU students to hear from a living, contemporary author like Jessamine Chan because it can demystify the authorial process for them.”

In addition to Chan’s reading, attendees are invited to a Q&A to learn about elements of her book, her writing career, and the publication process. The evening will conclude with a book signing.

“I wanted to invite Jessamine Chan because she’s a highly accomplished writer whose debut novel has garnered incredible accolades,” Kwak said. “She’s [also] writing in an allegorical, dystopian mode that will resonate with a lot of readers and writers.”

Chan’s novel, “The School for Good Mothers,” was a New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna and TODAY Show Book Club pick, and one of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2022. The book has been translated — or will soon be translated — into 20 languages.  

“An Evening with Jessamine Chan” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, in the OSU Student Union Theater. It is free and open to the public.