General Information

Eva Wong Nava was born on a tropical island where a heraldic animal spurts water. Her ancestors braved monsoon winds sailing from the Middle Kingdom to British Malaya to plant roots in Southeast Asia. When the winds changed, her relatives sailed again and found another home somewhere in the western hemisphere, braving snow storms and hail.

Eva has done many things in life, but writing remains her most favourite thing to do. She combines degrees in English Literature and Art History, and writes stories that explore identity, culture, and belonging by adding a dash of magic. She has written an award-winning middle-grade novel (Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, 2018), a Singapore Book Awards-nominated YA Historical Fiction (Best Literary Work, 2023), and several fiction and nonfiction picture books. She is the author of the best-selling picture book, I LOVE CHINESE NEW YEAR, which was selected for Cbeebies Bedtime Stories in 2024 and DANCING DUMPLINGS FOR MY ONE AND ONLY, which was awarded a starred review on Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal in America. And, she has forthcoming picture books to be announced. Eva has been a speaker at The Bookseller Children’s Conference on writing and editing sensitively and the Asian Festival of Children’s Content on writing diverse books and representing under-represented voices. She has spoken to parents and children in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Singapore on reading for pleasure and using picture books to learn about the world.

Eva is the cofounder of Picture Book Matters, a mentoring platform for aspiring picture book creators in and from Southeast Asia. She established The Writing Essentials to offer editorial services such as sensitivity reading and author coaching. Eva is passionate about how her culture, heritage, and people are represented in books, films, and media. She has lived here, there, and everywhere, but she calls the Land of Albion home. Eva lives in London with her family, two scampering squirrels, and a regal fox.