Background
She was born in Victoria, British Columbia, to a German mother and a Vietnamese father.
She was born in Victoria, British Columbia, to a German mother and a Vietnamese father.
Thanh completed a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria.
She has lived in Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Latin America and she was named one of ten Canadian Broadcasting Company Books" writers to watch in 2013. At 15, Thanh dropped out of school and lived on the streets. Previous to winning the Journey Prize for her short story Floating Like the Dead in 2009, Thanh earned her living as a busker in Vancouver.