A published author at 19

Selected from over 100 online submissions, Glenwood author Vivian Wei’s short story features in a new young adult fiction anthology.

Vivien Wei is now a published author.

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• Meet the inspiring jobseekers

Selected from over 100 online submissions, Glenwood resident Vivian Wei’s short story, The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife, features in a new young adult fiction anthology called Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories.

Published by Underdog Books, the anthology showcases the work of 12 talented, diverse, up-and-coming writers, whose stories explore the dynamic and ever-changing nature of Australia’s culture.

Here, Vivien shares what it feels like to be selected and what inspired her short story:

“I always dreamt of becoming an author. Perhaps sometime in my late thirties, not at nineteen! Everything still feels incredibly surreal and fast-tracked. I can still vividly recall receiving the ‘Congratulations’ email from Underdog. I was sitting at a local cafe with a pile of yellow tracing paper stacked in front of me, amid the stress of mid-year assessments for my first year of architecture school. Honestly, I thought the email was spam, because … as if?! But after reading the email countless times, my heart racing, I realised it was real!

My story, The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife, was inspired by my desire to educate myself about Chinese culture, following my grandfather’s funeral.

I was born and raised in Wagga Wagga, so it was a huge culture shock when I moved to Sydney a few years ago. I discovered there was this community I was supposed to identify with, even though I had no idea it existed until then. The Asian community is flourishing in Sydney now, so embracing my culture has become a lot easier, and I don’t feel the shame that I used to. Asian culture is gaining more and more representation in popular media, and I’m proud to be able to contribute to that.

Underdog sheds light on so many important subjects for young Australians, and I’m honoured to be part of an anthology written by incredible, emerging Australian authors.”

Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories is available from book stores and online retailers.

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