Rachel Phan was born and raised in a small town in Southern Ontario, where she was one of only two racialized people in her class. Seeking escapism from her provincial life, she discovered her love of the written word through daily visits to the library, contraband Harlequin romances, and hours spent creating new worlds on her sister’s typewriter. It was no surprise, then, when she got two journalism degrees and became a professional writer. Her work has appeared on CBC, CBC Radio, HuffPost, National Post, and Maclean’s. She is now based in Toronto.
Her forthcoming debut, Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging (Douglas & McIntyre), is slated for publication in Spring 2025. You can find her on Instagram @rachelmphan