Hannah Michell
Picador Guest Professor in the winter semester of 2025/26
Hannah Michell was born in England and raised in Seoul. Her first novel, The Defections, was published in France and the UK in 2014 to wide acclaim. Her second novel, Excavations (One World, 2023), was named one of the best crime novels of 2023 by LitHub and one of the top ten mysteries of 2023 by Publishers Weekly. Michell has also published on the intersection of South Korea and popular culture. She has taught at Stanford, the Dominican University of California and UC Berkeley.
As a Picador Professor Hannah Michell teached two seminars that center on storytelling, identity, and cultural representation.
Her creative writing course stated the premise that characters are embodied beings, shaped by their relationships, communities, and personal as well as national histories. Students discoverd how voice, point of view, setting, dialogue, and plot emerge from this foundation. Through close readings of exemplary works, the class analyzed the techniques of accomplished authors, while encouraging students to draw on their own observations to inspire and inform their writing.
Her graduate seminar (Reframing the Frame: Asian/American Representations in Film and Media) examined how Asians and Asian Americans have been represented in U.S. film and media—from early Hollywood to contemporary digital platforms. Students engaged critically with these portrayals and explored how Asian American creators have challenged and redefined dominant narratives.
Berlin: Recap of «Through mothers’ eyes: Feminist waves in East Asia»
AS PART OF THE POLITICAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL FROHES FESTIVAL:
On December 13, Hannah Michell and Lin Hierse talked on stage of Frohes Festival about “Feminist Waves in East Asia” and the influences our families and especially mothers have on our political beliefs. Rebecca Rukeyser lead the talk and they explored questions of self-determination, tradition, and transformation in Korea, China, and beyond— The conversation was a real highlight in a diverse festival program featuring many more inspiring events and voices. Thanks to everyone being there on this wonderful weekend!
Leipzig: Recap of «Speak. Risk. Move.»
What breaks first when courage meets fear? How can resistance live quietly, and still be heard? PicadorProf Hannah Michell and host of the evening Senthuran Varatharajah explored the small, invisible acts of protest and moments that challenged everything on November 25 at GfZK Leipzig.
In just one hour and a packed room with a curious audience, we explored the gaps between self and other, raised questions about writing, and examined the connections between political awakening, trauma, and families. We learned that we can find ourselves in the most absurd characters and that there will always be hope and light in darker times if we find ways of collective disobedience.
