Kevin Kwan

Author Kevin Kwan turned a satirical eye on Chinese-American society and earned a loyal following in the process. Born and raised in Singapore before moving to the United States at age 11. He attended the University of Houston-Clear Lake and then relocated to New York after graduating. He worked for the magazines Interview and Martha Stewart Living, as well as Tibor Kalman's design firm M&Co. He eventually began his own creative studio, working with high-profile clients including the New York Times, TED.com, and the Museum of Modern Art. His debut novel, Crazy Rich Asians (Anchor, 2013), was published in 2013. The book tells the story of Rachel, a Chinese-American economics professor, who joins her boyfriend Nick on a trip to Singapore to meet his family, only to discover that he is part of one of the richest families in Asia. The novel earned critical raves and became an international best seller. The follow-up, China Rich Girlfriend (Anchor, 2015), focused on Rachel reconnecting with her birth father, who turns out to be a Chinese billionaire, and dealing with the family drama that comes with her sudden appearance. Kwan completed his literary trilogy with Rich People Problems (Anchor, 2017). The third book focused on Rachel's now husband Nick reconciling with his family in Singapore, surrounding the death of his grandmother. The first book was turned into the film Crazy Rich Asians (2018), directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding. In 2018, the author was named one of TIME magazine's "TIME 100" recognizing the most influential people in the world.