ABOUT ME
Photo courtesy of Vancouver Writers Fest, taken by Paola Tolentino
MY STORYI’m Tristan Hay Lee, a Toronto-born writer of Korean, Japanese, and European descent.
I write a little bit of everything, but specialize in fiction, young adult, and screenwriting.
The eldest daughter of a psychologist and an architect, I knew I was destined for a less sensible profession from a young age.
Growing up in Toronto’s West End, I spent my early years devouring books, writing constantly, and playing trumpet very badly before moving to Vancouver to pursue a degree (or two) in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.
My undergrad was packed with great times and great people. Some memorable experiences include getting my first short story published in The Selkie and sharing a tiny studio apartment with my partner through the long years of COVID (the tradeoff: we had the best view ever).
During undergrad, I spent a lot of time pondering my relationship with my mixed racial identity and the impact of the Japanese Canadian internment on my family. Eventually, I took my thoughts to the page to write UNPLACEABLE, which was shortlisted for the 2022 HarperCollins/UBC Prize for Best New Fiction.
Post-BFA, I got my first gig as a freelance screenwriter on Piper’s Pony Tales. After that, it was off to the races! I’ve since written over 20 episodes on preschool shows like Caillou, Luna, Chip & Inkie: Adventure Rangers Go, and HOP (created by Marc Brown of Arthur fame).
Eventually I decided to return to UBC to pursue my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. During my MFA, I had the opportunity to present my work at the Vancouver Writers Fest, edit an anthology, join the editorial board of a literary magazine, and write a rom-com YA novel for my thesis.
I also taught undergrads and high schoolers all about screenwriting, fiction, and kidlit! (And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even if it means grading again.)
For the past few years, I’ve juggled grad school with my role as an in-house writer, contracts manager, and development coordinator for Epic Story Media, a kids production company. And I’m still working for them today! As an in-house writer, I’ve edited bibles, written toy-play videos, drafted press releases… the list goes on.
I also do various freelance work, such as editing med-legal reports and writing website copy for sugar companies (okay, maybe that was just once).
But now my time as a grad student has come to an end. After eight gorgeous years on the West Coast, I’m back in Toronto and ready to continue my writing career.
Nowadays, you can find me listening to obscure comedy podcasts, drinking natural wine, and making the occasional collage. If you ever see me in the wild (i.e., at a bookstore), please say hi. I will happily chat your ear off about musicals, delicious food, Japanese Canadian identity, or my secret book podcast. Pick your poison.
If you’re interested in my services or want to collaborate, shoot me a message.
Mt. Exile (2025), mixed media collage
“How much intergenerational wisdom was never passed down? How many honoured traditions? How many memories are buried, too painful to relive, never to be unearthed? Our family history is like a case of broken telephone—the messages becoming only more garbled in the aftermath of the break.
Exposing myself to other Nikkei voices and perspectives across generations helped me come to the realization that it is a quintessential part of being Japanese Canadian to feel like you’re not Japanese enough.”
Tristan Hay Lee, Mata Ashita: Talking Across Generations (2024)