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Sarah Wang

@daikonoclast

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*NEW SKIN* Little, Brown • Picador UK
words@newyorkermag @theatlantic @londonreviewofbooks
fellow@center4fiction @macdowell1907

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When Colm Tóibín says you have to unbox your new novel RIGHT NOW, you do it. Even with an oyster schucker instead of a real knife.

NEW SKIN by @daikonoclast arrives May 12th! A scalding, darkly humorous debut following an enmeshed mother-daughter duo, both best friends and enemies, and the plastic surgery addiction that warps their lives into a perilous spiral. by @daikonoclast

NEW SKIN goes on NPR!

I talk to Brittany Luse about my debut novel NEW SKIN on an episode of “It’s Been a Minute.”

As someone who has listened to NPR for most of my adult life while brushing my teeth, driving in my car, walking around the city, and streaming it from other countries while traveling, I can hardly believe I got to go on the radio station—and to talk about my new novel!

I’ve listened to so many episodes of “It’s Been a Minute” where I learned about trends like the morgue gaze, algorithm bodies, and numb-girl aesthetics.

Thank you @bmluse for always serving smart takes on culture and having me on to talk about the botched quest for beauty and NEW SKIN. ❤️ neenapathak for the invitation and so much more.

… the banana I ate in Bryant Park after recording was excellent.

@littlebrown @sterlinglordlit @npr @nprpodcasts #nprbooks #bookstagram #authorlife #newskin #sarahwang

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/22/nx-s1-5830393/new-skin-and-the-botched-quest-for-beauty by @daikonoclast

NEW SKIN is an Apple Books best book of May!
Check out the review and my lil blurb 🍏🍎

@applebooks @littlebrown @sterlinglordlit by @daikonoclast

Over a hundred people attended Saturday’s free workshop, “Reimagining the Asian American Immigrant Narrative,” where we collaborated on ideas for how to think beyond the existing tropes we too commonly see in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and films.

Việt Thanh Nguyễn has spoken about narrative plenitude and the importance of abundant, complex, varied, and multifaceted stories. If Asian Americans exist in all forms—good, bad and, well, mediocre (he coins this “the privilege of mediocrity,” to be average and flawed without being defining)—in public memory, literature, news, and film, then we are deemed the same agency in representation that the majority is granted: the freedom to be anything we want to be.

Together we identified the tropes we too often see and how to move beyond them. We shared thoughts about characters, settings, histories, and stories that we want to see more of. Through discussion and generative writing prompts, we imagined new and expansive ways forward. Thank you to everyone who came and communed—enacting the plenitude we wished for.

The staff at @chathamsqnypl worked so hard to bring in chairs for the 40+ additional attendees who we didn’t expect could be seated—but everyone who showed up was accommodated! Copies of my novel New Skin, which was written with these very ideas of narrative plenitude in mind, were given to attendees. The event was generously supported by @whiterabbittrust who really works tirelessly to build and strengthen our AAPI community with deep care.

The afternoon was cohosted by @kundimanforever—where I and so many people have found community through writing and fellowship. Thank you ♥️ especially to @rishonaa, @shirleykite, and @ginathechung who helped plan and execute the workshop. Huge thanks to @drinksanzo for supplying delicious beverages that kept us hydrated!

This couldn’t have happened without the labor of @welcome.to.chinatown and the incredible stewardship of @clarajeon. Copies of New Skin were supplied by the amazing team @yuandmebooks who also facilitated the event at NYPL Chatham 🙏. Thank you!

📸 @hatnimlee

#AsianAmericanWriters #ChinatownNYC #AAPI #newskin by @daikonoclast

Last night’s panel with @sabletoothtigre and @faith_xue, moderated by @_jessicakwon_, on Beauty, Obsession, and Reinvention @softhours was such an incredible opportunity to gather AAPI creatives for an intimate conversation ranging from anti-Asian hate during covid to viral articles on collective identity crisis, the problem with Chinamaxxing, and the role of AAPI women storytellers.

So much gratitude to the brilliant baddies Sable Yong, Faith Xue, and Jessica Kwon. Thankful for Juno Shen’s nourishing tea and pastries and hosting us in the gorgeous Song dynasty-inspired teahouse Soft Hours.

None of this would have been possible without @clarajeon, who brought just as much heart as she did hard work into curating and producing the entire event. It’s incredible, and beautiful, to witness such devotion to community and helping others.

Support from @whiterabbittrust made this, and so many other events and opportunities for AAPI, happen. He dedicates his time and resources to strengthen collective efforts that support AAPI creatives—all because he cares. In this era where not only caring but actually catalyzing change is so rare, his work is invaluable and singular.

Special thanks to the mighty @welcome.to.chinatown for essential support and to @yuandmebooks—both treasured Chinatown organizations! 📸: @hatnimlee.

Thank you to everyone who came, held space, and communed at the salon. It felt so special to be in a room with you all. by @daikonoclast

Meet Sarah Wang (@daikonoclast), a writer currently in residence at Marble House Project with Cohort 76.

Working across genres, Sarah explores mass incarceration, surveillance, psychoanalysis, contemporary art, race, class, and feminism. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and BOMB, and she teaches writing at Barnard College. Her debut novel is New Skin.

We’re delighted to welcome Sarah to our fall residency community. by @daikonoclast

Come hang out with me in Vermont, New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Florida, and Nashville soon. New Skin is stretching out across the country this fall and winter 🌎💉👄🗺️

@littlebrown @sterlinglordlit #newskin #sarahwang #booktour #bookstagram by @daikonoclast

Sarah Wang on New Skin with Bookseller Elise at The Portobello Bookshop Podcast

In today’s episode, our Events Coordinator Elise is sitting down to chat with author Sarah Wang about her debut novel New Skin. We love this book and it was great to get into some of the fascinating and difficult topics that it covers including black market botox, class and immigration issues in America, reality TV, and mother/daughter relationships.

Sarah Wang is an author and Creative Writing professor at Barnard College. She was in town for the Edinburgh International Book Festival and stuck around to sign books and have a chat with us in the shop. We were so happy to get to know more about Sarah and her work, and we hope you enjoy the conversation.

Listen here: https://rephonic.com/episodes/todux-the-portobello-bookshop-podcast-sarah-wang-o

Or on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5u46m5XmT56KjWKsbQIhy3?si=OmsdnWujRRmqRWhFD6Q9ew

@portybooks @picadorbooks @sterlinglordlit #newskin #sarahwang #bookstagram #bookpodcast by @daikonoclast

Join novelist Sarah Wang, author of the novel New Skin, for a free one-day writing workshop on “Reimagining the Asian American Immigrant Narrative” on Saturday, October 24th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET at the Chatham Square branch of the New York Public Library.

Complimentary copies of Wang’s novel New Skin (Little, Brown 2026) will be given to participants (1 per person) until books run out.

How can we develop narrative strategies when writing immigrant stories and characters, particularly in regard to Asian Americans? This generative workshop will discuss approaches to crafting immigrant stories across fiction and nonfiction, as well as how we can move past limiting tropes such as the model minority stereotype and achieving the American dream.

Wang’s novel New Skin, which Maggie Nelson describes as “mirthfully and mercilessly abject,” explores such approaches through writing characters who dare to dream beyond meritocracy and belonging, offering a different perspective on the immigrant story.

Attendees will participate in dialogue about their own histories, experiences, and identities during the workshop to foster collaboration and exchange ideas.

No writing experience necessary; all levels of participation are welcome. Bring a pen and paper or laptop to write with.

This workshop is open to all Asian American writers and is supported by White Rabbit Trust, Kundiman, Welcome to Chinatown, and Yu & Me Books. Free beverages from Sanzo will be provided. Registration is limited to 60 participants.

Register here (RSVP required): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-writing-workshop-with-novelist-sarah-wang-author-of-new-skin-tickets-2002951210990

Link in bio 🔗

@whiterabbittrust @welcome.to.chinatown @kundimanforever @yuandmebooks #FreeBooks #WritingWorkshop #ChinatownNYC #NewSkin by @daikonoclast

See you at the Brooklyn Book Festival this Sunday!
Looking forward to this panel on being a debut novelist and Emerging Writer Fellow with @emergencychampagne @ginathechung and @hafeezlakhani, presented by @center4fiction at 3 pm.

@bkbookfest @littlebrown @sterlinglordlit by @daikonoclast

Hearing @realcolmtoibin read passages from my novel NEW SKIN and sharing a stage with him was one of the highlights of the @edbookfest. It was amazing to meet so many readers, sign books, and talk to book club hosts. I hung with my favorite clown @tartar.biz who was in town for @edfringe, ate vegan spice bag, chatted with many incredible writers in the green room, and did a reading in a sauna (no photos of that one, alas) at Fringe. by @daikonoclast

As we get ready for the return of First Novel Friday next month, we’re looking back at our June event and remembering why we love bringing debut novelists together:

The creativity and insight from our featured authors, like @cassandraneyenesch, Morgan Thomas, and @daikonoclast; the excellent conversation scaffolding from moderators like @vanjchan; and the guests who come out to get books, ask questions, and spend time with us. 💙

📸 Swipe for pics—and be sure to purchase A Little Bit Bad (@summitbooks), Mad Eden (@fsgbooks), and New Skin (@littlebrown) at bookstore.centerforfiction.org! by @daikonoclast