Paul Yee

Author

Paul Yee is third-generation Canadian. He was born in Saskatchewan and later grew up in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Yee holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of British Columbia. History led him to a career as an archivist, working first for the city of Vancouver and then moving to Toronto to become Multicultural Coordinator for the Archives of Ontario. He is the author of numerous books for children and youth, including Blood and Iron, The Secret Keepers, The Bone Collector’s Son, Money Boy, Teach Me to Fly, Tales from Gold Mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World, and more, as well as Ghost Train — winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s literature and the Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award. As well, he has written history books that feature the stories of the Chinese diaspora in Canada, including Saltwater City: An Illustrated History of the Chinese in Vancouver, which won the Vancouver Book Award. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature. The love of literature and the personal importance of his cultural heritage are both important in Yee's work, where he weaves the history and culture of Chinese Canadians into his stories.

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