Author
Kim Thúy
Birth Date
September 18, 1968
(57 Years)
Associated Country
Canada
Kim Thúy is a Vietnamese Canadian writer whose work explores themes of migration, memory, family, identity, and belonging. Born in Vietnam, she fled the country with her family as a refugee following the Vietnam War and eventually settled in Canada. Her experiences of displacement, adaptation, and cultural exchange have become central influences on her writing, shaping stories that reflect both personal and collective histories.
Before establishing herself as an author, Kim Thúy pursued a diverse career that included work in law, translation, hospitality, and media. These experiences exposed her to a wide range of people and perspectives, contributing to the empathy and observational detail that characterize her literary voice. She writes primarily in French and is known for blending autobiographical elements with fiction in ways that blur the boundaries between memory and storytelling.
Kim Thúy's books have earned international recognition for their lyrical style and intimate exploration of immigrant experiences. Her writing frequently examines the connections between generations, cultures, and places, while also celebrating food, community, and resilience. Through both fiction and nonfiction, she has become one of Canada's most acclaimed contemporary authors, with works translated into numerous languages and read around the world.
Before establishing herself as an author, Kim Thúy pursued a diverse career that included work in law, translation, hospitality, and media. These experiences exposed her to a wide range of people and perspectives, contributing to the empathy and observational detail that characterize her literary voice. She writes primarily in French and is known for blending autobiographical elements with fiction in ways that blur the boundaries between memory and storytelling.
Kim Thúy's books have earned international recognition for their lyrical style and intimate exploration of immigrant experiences. Her writing frequently examines the connections between generations, cultures, and places, while also celebrating food, community, and resilience. Through both fiction and nonfiction, she has become one of Canada's most acclaimed contemporary authors, with works translated into numerous languages and read around the world.
Books
Em 2026
Emma-Jade and Louis are born into the havoc of the Vietnam War. Orphaned, saved and cared for by adults coping with the chaos of Saigon in free-fall, they become children of the Vietnamese...
Between careers as a lawyer and an acclaimed novelist, Kim Thúy ran a celebrated restaurant called Ru de Nam in Montreal. Now, in her first cookbook, Kim combines her beautiful storytelling style with...
Vi 2019
The daughter of an enterprising mother and a wealthy, spoiled father who never had to grow up, Vi was the youngest of their four children and the only girl. They gave her a name that meant "precious,...
Mãn 2015
Mãn has three mothers: the one who gives birth to her in wartime, the nun who plucks her from a vegetable garden, and her beloved Maman, who becomes a spy to survive. Seeking security for her grown...
Ru 2012
At ten years old, Kim Thúy fled Vietnam on a boat with her family, leaving behind a grand house and the many less tangible riches of their home country: the ponds of lotus blossoms, the songs of...