Enriching Canada’s literary ecosystem—meet Janie Chang
Janie Chang is a bestselling novelist championing diverse stories and voices in Canada and beyond.
Drawing on generations of family history, she crafts historical fiction that illuminates Chinese culture, tradition, and women’s lives. She has also been steadfast in her support for emerging writers and Canada’s bookselling community, launching initiatives to bolster independent bookstores and devoting time and resources to mentoring and delivering community workshops.
After earning an interdisciplinary degree at SFU in computing science and French, Janie forged a successful career in tech, then transitioned to writing through the SFU Writer’s Studio in 2011. Since then, she has published six novels, with several making national best bestseller lists, and her debut, Three Souls (2014), being nominated for both local and international literary awards.
Through storytelling, mentorship, and generosity, Janie enriches Canada’s literary ecosystem, uplifting writers, readers, and communities while also expanding whose stories are told.
Learn about Janie in this Q/A.
What stands out as a highlight of your career?
It's hard to decide between two highlights! The first was seeing my debut novel, Three Souls in a bookstore. That made it real somehow, more real than holding the copy my publisher sent me, more real than reading the book reviews. When I think about the end goal of writing a book, I picture it on a bookstore shelf. It's out there in the world.
The other highlight was the first time one of my books made it onto the Globe and Mail's bestseller list. That was Dragon Springs Road, my second novel. My editor called to tell me it was the Costco book buyer's pick for that season and that it would be featured in their magazine. This was, apparently, a guarantee of bestseller status back then, and she was right.
How did SFU impact your career?
SFU has been responsible for the education I needed for success in both my (very different) careers. I graduated with a degree in Computing Science way back in the 1980s, and spent the next 30 years working for hardware, software, and telecommunications companies ranging from Fortune 500 multinationals to start-ups in Silicon Valley, to freelance work as a consultant when I got tired of the corporate world.
It was a good time to be in technology, but I always wanted to write for a living, so I applied to The Writers Studio (TWS) at SFU for their 2011 class. By the end of that year, I had written most of the first draft of a novel; in 2012, I signed with a literary agent. In 2013, HarperCollins Canada acquired Three Souls, the novel I wrote while at TWS, and published it.
What is a piece of advice you would like to pass along to current students?
Life is messy. Be open to possibilities. If what you do now doesn't interest you in two years that's OK because by then you'll have the experience and knowledge to recognize whether or not you're in the right place. 'Experience and knowledge' being the key words. You have to give things an honest effort, gain that experience, learn. And I'm throwing out 'two years' because it seems to take me two years to learn a job thoroughly enough that I want to move on or move up.
Help us celebrate Janie at the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award event in Vancouver on April 16. Tickets are available through the Outstanding Alumni Awards website.