Department of English

Katherine Chen

B.A. English, Princeton University, 2012 , M.F.A. Creative Writing (Fiction), Boston University, 2022
Katherine_Chen@brown.edu
Research Interests Henry James, Detective Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary and Cultural Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Theory of the Novel

Biography

Katherine’s research focuses on literature of the fin de siècle and the works of Henry James, especially those from the middle and “major” phases of his career. She is the author of Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc (Random House US / Hodder & Stoughton UK), which won the 2023 American Library in Paris Book Award and has been translated into nine languages, and Mary B (Random House US). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, and other publications. She is currently at work on her next book, which is under contract with Random House. This book will explore through a revolutionary lens the world of Arthurian literature and, in particular, the complex sibling dynamic between Morgan le Fay and King Arthur.

 

Recent News

The American Library in Paris

Interview | Heroines and Historical Fiction with Ph.D. Student Katherine J. Chen

First-year graduate student Katherine J. Chen, winner of the 2023 American Library in Paris Book Award, returns to the Library to discuss her fictionalized account of the life of Joan of Arc with Patricia Dailey (Columbia University).
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American Library in Paris

First-Year PhD student Katherine J. Chen's Joan: A Novel wins the American Library in Paris Book Award

The 2023 jury—consisting of Lauren Groff (chair), Doan Bui and Sudhir Hazareesingh—wrote of the book:

“Congratulations to Katherine J. Chen for Joan, winner of the eleventh annual American Library in Paris Book Award. The book is a fierce fictional retelling of the life of Joan of Arc. Deeply researched and fully imagined, Joan manages to subvert the old, dusty narratives about the ardent virgin warrior from Domremy in Eastern France, and creates a flawed, complicated, and compelling heroine for our age.”

The winner was announced by jury member Doan Bui before an audience of Library supporters on 9 November at the George C. Marshall Center in the Hôtel de Talleyrand on the Place de la Concorde.
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American Library in Paris

First-Year PhD student Katherine Chen's Joan: A Novel shortlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award

First-Year PhD student Katherine Chen's Joan: A Novel (Random House USA / Hodder & Stoughton UK), has been shortlisted for the 2023 American Library in Paris Book Award. The winner will be announced on 9 November 2023. Joan is Chen's second published novel, and it is a thrilling, feminist reimagining of the life of Joan of Arc, from her childhood until her capture.
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