Chan Li Shan is a PhD student at the English department of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her research interests are in the medical humanities and life writing.
In particular, storytelling in medicine with a focus on mental health narratives, as well as biographical research in relation to word, image, and performance.
As a writer, researcher and editor, her areas of interest include oral history methods, writing from letters, photographs and personal documents, and memory work.
She was formerly Director of the Writing Center and Writing Residency Fellow at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Prior to this, she was Writer-in-Residence at Sing Lit Station.
Her book ‘A Philosopher’s Madness’ was published by Ethos Books in 2012. Her children’s biography picture book ‘Yellow Man’ was published by Epigram Books, in 2021. A creative biography ‘Searching for Lee Wen’ will be launched in 2022.
Aside from writing, she has particular interest and expertise in the structural/developmental editing of book projects.
Her educational background includes an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, an MSc in Philosophy and History of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA(Hons) in Philosophy and Politics from the University of York, UK.
As a content producer, she has written op-eds for the Straits Times and the Business Times, press releases for ETHZ Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Swiss Digital Art Week Festival (Singapore), as well as articles for eco-business.com, the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore and the American Psychiatric Association.
Her editorial work includes structural and copy-editing. Recent projects: the memoirs of an illustrious tea-planter in Bangladesh, a non-fiction book on Islam.
In the field of mental health, Li Shan was instrumental in securing mental health public education funding for the National Council of Social Service.
Recognised as ‘Most Promising Advocate’ at the Singapore Advocacy Awards in 2014, her volunteer work included Co-Chair of Voices of Experience, a mental health group formed under the auspices of IMH, and board member of Silver Ribbon Singapore, a social service organisation promoting mental health awareness.
Contact: hello@lishanchan.com
writer, researcher, editor 