Photo by Sarah Deragon

As a writer, translator & curator, I work on interdisciplinary projects

that investigate notions of home, displacement, and (be)longing through a humanist and post-colonial queer lens.

Starting out as a theater practitioner, I continued to develop my storytelling craft in the film industry for over a decade before now focusing on literary arts. I’ve published two chapbooks: Start a Riot! Prize-winning The Way Back and Press Play, and am currently working toward my first full-length poetry collection.

My interest in the practice and process of creative play, art-making, and storytelling to foster individual well-being and community-building leads me to facilitate workshops, organize literary gatherings, and frequently collaborate with fellow writers and artists on literary translations and multimedia projects.

A queer Indonesian-born Chinese immigrant, I’m based on unceded Ohlone land in the Bay Area, CA with my husband Jake and our infant child.

  • Edward Gunawan is a Bay Area-based writer, translator & curator.

    Having published two chapbooks—Start a Riot! Prize-winning The Way Back (Foglifter Press, 2022) and Press Play (Sweet Lit, 2020), Edward is now currently working toward their first full-length poetry collection. Their work has been published in Tripwire, TriQuarterly, The Town anthology (Nomadic Press, 2023), and elsewhere.

    A queer Indonesian-born Chinese immigrant, Edward founded and organizes for HOME MADE @ ARTogether that hosts free community literary gatherings in Oakland, CA. Visit addword.com for more.

  • Edward Gunawan is a writer, translator, facilitator, and curator whose interdisciplinary projects investigate notions of home, displacement, and (be)longing through a humanist and post-colonial queer lens.

    After starting out as a theater practitioner, Edward worked in the film industry for over a decade, completing over 25 feature and short films as writer, producer, actor, and/or director. Their last two producing projects—How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) and By the Time It Gets Dark—premiered in Berlin and Locarno respectively, and were both honored as Thailand's Best Foreign Language Film entries for the Academy Awards. In 2021, Edward served as the Featured Film Artist at Kearny Street Workshop’s APAture multi-disciplinary arts festival,

    Now focusing primarily on literary arts, they have authored two chapbooks—Start a Riot! Prize-winning The Way Back (winner of Start a Riot! Prize, Foglifter Press, 2022) and Press Play (Sweet Lit, 2020)—and are currently working toward their first full-length poetry collection. Their work has also been published in Tripwire, TriQuarterly, and The Town anthology (Nomadic Press, 2023), amongst others.

    A queer Indonesian-born Chinese immigrant based on unceded Ohlone land in the Bay Area, Edward founded and organizes for HOME MADE @ ARTogether that hosts free community literary gathering to connect, cultivate & celebrate the stories and storytellers from immigrant and refugee communities. They also facilitate workshops and curate community gatherings such as storytelling workshops for National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Marin County and PRESS PLAY: Exhibition, and frequently collaborate with fellow writers and artists on literary translations and multimedia projects.

    They hold an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, and have received support from California Arts Council, YBCA & East Bay Community Foundation. Visit addword.com for more.