2016 Fall Writers Series: Peter Ho Davies

Calvin Center for Faith & Writing

Sly, funny, intelligent, and artfully structured, THE FORTUNES by Peter Ho Davies recasts American history through the lives of four Chinese Americans and reimagines the multigenerational novel through the fractures of immigrant family experience. Spinning fiction around fact, Davies uses stories—three inspired by real historical characters—to examine the process of becoming not only Chinese American, but American. Released just this fall, THE FORTUNES has garnered swift and widespread critical acclaim. Davies, who is also faculty in the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program, will read from his novel and discuss the challenges of writing fiction inspired by real people and how his own experience of becoming American since immigrating 25 years ago informed the book. PETER HO DAVIES is the author of two novels, THE FORTUNES and THE WELSH GIRL (long-listed for the Man Booker Prize), and two short story collections, THE UGLIEST HOUSE IN THE WORLD (winner of the John Llewelyn Rhys Prize) and EQUAL LOVE (A New York Times Notable Book). His work has appeared in HARPERS, THE ATLANTIC, THE PARIS REVIEW, THE GUARDIAN, AND THE WASHINGTON POST among others, and has been widely anthologized, including selections for PRIZE STORIES: THE O. HENRY AWARDS and BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES. In 2003 GRANTA magazine named him among its Best of Young British Novelists. Davies is also a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and is a winner of the PEN/Malamud Award. Born in Britain to Welsh and Chinese parents, he now makes his home in the US. He has taught at the University of Oregon and Emory University, and is currently on the faculty of the Helen Zell MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This series is presented in partnership with: African & African Diaspora Studies at Calvin College Ambrose @ WMCAT The Asian Studies Program at Calvin College Brazos Press The Calvin Center for Community Engagement & Global Learning The Calvin College Campus Store The Calvin College Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion The Calvin College History Department The Calvin College Office of the Provost The Calvin College Department of Sociology & Social Work Heyns Fund The Calvin College Student Life Division The Calvin Theater Company The Christian Reformed Church’s Office of Social Justice Event and Tech Services at Calvin College The Paul B. Henry Institute at Calvin College Schuler Books and Music