About Marty Chan


Marty Chan loves to write. Before he became a kids’ author, he worked in theatre, radio, and television. Now his passion is inspiring the next generation of lifelong readers and writers. Using a combination of storytelling, improv, humour, and stage magic, he shares his love of words with audiences young and old.

Marty Chan

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Inspired to pursue creative writing by his high school English teacher, Marty has been a professional writer for over 30 years. He writes books, stage plays, radio dramas, television scripts and humour articles, and his career has taken him around the world from New York to Los Angeles to Galway to Beijing.

From 1994 to 2000, Marty was a regular contributor to CBC Radio with his weekly commentary series, The Dim Sum Diaries. Later, this series was adapted into a half-hour television program (The Orange Seed Myth) which won a Gold Medal for Best Television Pilot at the Charleston World Film and Television Festival.

Marty’s first young adult novel, The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, was a hit with young readers across Canada. Resource Links magazine listed it as one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2004 for grades 3 to 6. Another three books in the Marty Chan Mystery Series followed, including The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which won the 2007 Diamond Willow Award. In 2014, his steampunk fantasy book, Demon Gate, received nominations for best young adult novel from the High Plains Book Awards as well as the Aurora Awards. His books for striving readers have been a hit with teen readers. Haunted Hospital and Willpower both received the Gold Medal Standard from the Junior Library Guild.

Marty has served as a writer in residence at the library systems in Edmonton, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, and St. Albert. He was the Citadel Theatre’s first playwright in residence. In 2016, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts named Marty one of the 25 most influential artists in Alberta.

Marty lives and works in Edmonton with his wife, Michelle. When he’s not writing, Marty dabbles in his other passions: editing videos, learning stage magic, and cuddling his cats, Hugo and Minnie.

Works and Awards


A complete list of Works & Awards by Marty Chan.

Bios


Promoting Marty Chan at an upcoming event or workshop? In a panic about how to write a blurb about him? Don’t worry. Here are some bios you can use. If you have the task of introducing Marty, you’ll also find some host bios you can use, but Marty will answer to pretty well anything.

Marty Chan writes funny books for kids and plays for adults. He’s best known for his Marty Chan Mystery Series. He’s written picture books, funny kids books, adventurous young adult novels, and thrilling plays for adults. He lives in Edmonton with his wife and their cats, Hugo and Minnie.
Mystery Series
Barnabas Bigfoot Series
Keepers of the Vault Series
Mystery Series
Barnabas Bigfoot Series
Keepers of the Vault Series
Ehrich Weisz Chronicles
Books by Marty Chan