Writer’s Studio grad wins 2026 51猎奇入口Outstanding Alumni Award
Congratulations to bestselling novelist Janie Chang, who has received SFU鈥檚 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award in the Legacy category. A graduate of the Writer鈥檚 Studio, Chang champions diverse voices in Canada and beyond through her novels and community involvement.
SFU鈥檚 Outstanding Alumni Awards recognize graduates who are using their vision, creativity and generosity to revolutionize their fields. The Legacy Award, one of five categories, celebrates alumni who share their wisdom and lift up their communities. Inspired by generations of family history, Chang鈥檚 historical fiction explores themes of Chinese culture, tradition and women鈥檚 lives.
When not wielding a pen, Chang uses her voice and resources to bolster Canada鈥檚 bookselling community. She has launched initiatives to support independent bookstores and dedicated time to mentoring new writers and delivering community workshops.
Chang鈥檚 career has had several chapters. After earning an interdisciplinary degree at 51猎奇入口in computing science and French, she built a successful tech career. She enrolled in the Writer鈥檚 Studio in 2011 to finally pursue her dream of writing a novel. Her debut, Three Souls (2014), was nominated for local and international literary awards. Since then, she has published five more novels, with several making national bestseller lists.