WORDS | Piera Chen

WRITER TRANSLATOR EDITOR

And on a day like this, the indoor pool has a single shaft of sun near the landscape rocks. Bright yellow slicing clean through an expanse of green exiled from the core of the earth. As I sink into the light, all I can think about is the blue that isn't there.

The Year of the Hare

POEMS

Print + Digital

'Fish Papaya Tanka', Canto Cutie 2023

Digital

'Recessed Luminaires', Wild Roof Journal, summer 2025
'Primal Cadence or Looking for Ju Jai' Pinhole Poetry, 2025
'Sugarcane-Smoked Tofu Skin' Sky Island Journal, 2023
'As I was leaving the office on a typhoon night', 'Missing Person', 'Lunch' Anthropocene, 2023
‘Sunset Hour’, 'The Inner Harbour’ Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 2019
‘Advice’ finalist, Hong Kong Poetry Contest, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 2015
‘Storm’ Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 2015

'Mount Kachi-Kachi with a View of Mount Fuji’, Voice & Verse, 2022
‘You Seem to Have Forgotten', Voice & Verse, 2020
‘Eating a Wampee’, Voice & Verse, 2019

TRANSLATION + EDITING

Translation of Hong Kong poet Leung Ping-kwan's 「中午在鰂魚涌」 (Midday, Quarry Bay) was one of three Highly Commended entries in the open category of the UK-based Stephen Spender Prize 2024.
One of two Chinese-to-English translators, Chinese Art Since 1970: The M+ Sigg Collection Thames & Hudson 2022, described as 'a definitive catalogue to a world-class collection of Chinese contemporary art'
English editor, 1st - 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF) curated by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke (賈樟柯), 2017-2019

APPEARANCES

Introducing Gansu the top destination in Lonely Planet Best in Asia 2017
Reading my poem at Canto Cutie Queer Issue launch, 2023
Facilitated ‘The Photographic Poem’ generative workshop for Taipei Poetry Collective, Dec 2023
Member and workshop facilitator Taipei Poetry Collective
Read three of my poems at Not A Show, a music and poetry event in Taipei, 2023
Read poems at Poetry Night, The Centre, Taipei, 2023

TRAVEL WRITING

Travel Guides: Print + Digital

Sichuan and Chongqing chapters, Lonely Planet China, forthcoming May 2025
Lonely Planet Taiwan, first author (2023, 2020 & 2017)
Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau, first author (2015 & 2013), co-author (2019, 2017 & 2009)
Hong Kong Pocket, sole author (2015, 2013 & 2009), first author (2017), co-author (2019)
Shanxi, Ningxia, Hong Kong, and Macau chapters, Lonely Planet China and Discover China, 2021
Hong Kong and Macau chapters, Best of China & Discover China, 2017
Guangdong, Guangxi and Macau chapters, Lonely Planet China and Discover China, 2015
Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau chapters, Lonely Planet China and Discover China, 2013
Hong Kong and Macau chapters, Lonely Planet China, 2011

Lonely Planet Trade and Reference

'Six weeks in Sichuan & Chongqing: celebrating the "only child" as a mom', Women Travel Solo May 2025
Hong Kong and Taiwan chapters, Parenthood Around the World 2025
Taiwan chapter Global Chocolate Tour 2020
Juror, and nominator/writer of Kaohsiung chapter, Best in Travel 2018 + article
Hong Kong and Taiwan chapters Culture Trails 2017
Nominator/writer, Hong Kong Unesco Geopark, Best in Travel 2016
Hong Kong chapter, The Best Things in Life Are Free, 2016
‘Hong Kong’s Tea-Coffee’, World’s Best Brunches, 2015
Sichuan chapter, Spicy Food, 2014
‘Soothing Scent’, Calm, 2013
Hong Kong chapter, Best in Travel 2012
‘Know When to Bite Your Tongue’, Happy, 2011