Austin Wen
Austin has been an avid reader since childhood. In lower school in Shanghai, encouraged by his mother, he developed a passion for reading English novels, which built the foundation for his growing proficiency with the language. After moving to Taiwan, where he attended middle school, reading was his anchor in the familiar, opening doors to his personal aliveness and learning beyond the classroom. Wishing to return the favor and help other kids along their own emotional journeys, he wrote his first book, Pantheon: book one in a forthcoming series called The Pantheon Duology. His novel is the winner of a National Silver Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with his parents, grandma, sister, and their rabbit, Spotty.