AVA CHEN

Ava Chen is an avid creative and Chinese-American undergraduate at Princeton University. The founding Editor-in-Chief of the international literary magazine Sophon Lit and a Teaching Assistant for Polyphony Lit, her writing has been recognized by YoungArts, Bennington College, The Adroit Prizes, Columbia College Chicago, and more. Ava's poetry has also appeared in or is forthcoming with Sixth Finch, The Rumpus, Gigantic Sequins, Chestnut Review, Salt Hill, The Penn Review, The Offing, Sine Theta Magazine, diode, wildness, Frontier Poetry, and elsewhere. Her debut chapbook "Habitual Prayer" was chosen by Danez Smith as the winner of Palette Poetry's 2023 Chapbook Prize. Ava also adjudicates for NYC Midnight's international writing competitions. In her free time, she enjoys walking her golden retriever and playing piano for her two turtles. She hopes you have a wonderful day.

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

“...again and again in this brief but stunning collection I found myself tripping over language so fresh and wise, at times ancient and at times from from electric dreamy future, making new all the places we poets have looked to find out work: into death, into the garden, towards love, and into the mirror. 'Habitual Prayer' has made me a fan of this poet’s magic, how they transfigure language into these precise, lush spells and invocations that unsettle me so. The greedy prayer I cast out to my gods: please, please, more of this, more from this poet.”

—Danez Smith on Habitual Prayer

HONORS

Palette Poetry Chapbook Prize, judged by Danez Smith · WinnerNational YoungArts Competition · Winner in PoetryPen&Quill Summer Contest · First PlaceScholastic Art & Writing Awards · National Silver Medal in Critical EssayIce Lolly Review Campaign Contest · 2nd Place in Poetry, 2x Poetry FinalistYoung Poet Network's Peace and Quiet Challenge · 2nd PrizeClaudia Ann Seaman Awards · Creative Nonfiction Runner-UpAdroit Prize for Poetry · Semifinalist (2025), Commended (2024, 2023)Bennington Young Writers Awards · 3rd Place in PoetryColumbia College Chicago Young Authors Writing Competition · 3rd Place in Poetry, Finalist in Creative NonfictionGigantic Sequins Poetry Contest · Finalistruth weiss foundation's Youth Poet Award · FinalistSmith College High School Poetry Prize · FinalistSine Theta Annual Writing Contest · Poetry ShortlistPoetry as Currency · Best of the Net NominationSine Theta Magazine · Pushcart Prize NominationBoston Writers of Color · Literary Support Award

EXPERIENCE

CurrentNYC Midnight · International Writing JurorAlliance for Young Artists & Writers · National JurorSophon Lit · Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPolyphony Lit · Teaching Assistant


Past"Floating Forms: Deconstructing the Line": YPW Summer Workshop Seriesthe borderline · Poetry EditorActive Voice Mag · Literary EditorCulinary Origami · Prose & Poetry Reader

EDUCATION

2025Fiction Workshop with Lynn StrongPoetry Workshop with Katie Farris2024Iowa Young Writers Workshop under Nitya RayapatiThe Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program Poetry Mentee under Claudia Cortese2023The Kenyon Review Young Writers' Residential Workshop under Chukwuma Ndulue

SERVICES

Looking to revise a poetry portfolio? College essay help? General advice for getting published as a creative writer? I am a published author, passionate editor, and Princeton undergraduate offering tutoring and editing services for anything and everything English! I want to help YOU become the most clear, concise, and vivid writer you can possibly be. Rates and more details below—fill out the Google Form linked below to get started!

RATESAsynchronous editing: $0.10/word
Live meetings: $40/hourFlexible on a case-by-case basis!

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