Suelyn Jackman

Suelyn is a Chinese-Canadian who….

Can speak more Italian, French and Greek than Chinese.

Given the choice, would rather be speared by a chopstick than sing karaoke.

Thanks to Canadian immigration, has the very Chinese surname of ‘Jackman’.

Suelyn was first called a ‘Banana’ (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) at age seventeen, and now, thirteen years later, still hears the reply ‘Really?’ when she reveals that she’s actually Chinese.  Inspired by the contemporary issues of cultural identity conflict, Suelyn shares her experiences as a Western-Born Chinese in her first book, The Banana Chronicles.  This book first started as an essay titled ‘Made in China’, which was short-listed in Random House of Canada’s 2008 Student Award in Writing.

An MBA grad with over five years of business management experience, Suelyn has marketed everything from cream cheese to wheelchairs. She is the former Chair of Fundraising for the charity ‘Smile China’ and has sat on the executive board for numerous health outreach organisations. 

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Suelyn blogs about her passion for eating (and everything food related) at www.suelynjackman.com

Suelyn was shortlisted in a Portico Books writing competition. Read her entry The Pen is Mightier than the Keyboard

Read Suelyn’s City University student profile