Photo by Sarah Deragon

As an Indonesian-born Chinese queer writer & literary translator, I work on interdisciplinary projects that investigate notions of home, displacement, and (be)longing.


Starting out as a theater practitioner, I worked in the film industry for over a decade before focusing on literary arts recently. I’ve published two chapbooks: 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.

  • Edward Gunawan is an Indonesian-born Chinese queer writer & literary translator now based on Ohlone land in the Bay Area, CA.

    Author of two chapbooks: The Way Back (winner of Start a Riot! Prize, Foglifter Press, 2022) and Press Play (Sweet Lit, 2020), Edward was awarded the Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts from Lunch Ticket. Their writing has been published in TriQuarterly, Aquifer, and The Town anthology (Nomadic Press, 2023), and translations in Tripwire, Los Angeles Review, and MAYDAY, among others.

  • Edward Gunawan is an Indonesian-born Chinese queer writer & literary translator 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—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 writing has been published in TriQuarterly, Aquifer, and The Town anthology (Nomadic Press, 2023), and translations in Tripwire, Los Angeles Review, and MAYDAY, among others.

    Edward also 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.

    An MFA in Creative Writing graduate from San Francisco State University (Distinguished Graduate Achievement Award), they have attended Napa Valley Writer's Conference, Community of Writers & Lambda Literary Writers Retreat, and received grants from California Arts Council, YBCA & East Bay Community Foundation.