Model Minority Gone Rogue Icon

Qin Qin: Author & Speaker

Stay in Touch

About

author photo

Qin Qin is a Chinese Australian writer with a non-linear career. She started off as a ‘model minority’ poster child, playing piano and violin and doing extra maths homework. By 23, she was a lawyer and an unfulfilled overachiever at a top-tier law firm — then she veered off-script.

Qin Qin's debut memoir, Model Minority Gone Rogue (Hachette, 2024), reveals the messy, liberating journey to choose love over fear and was shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year, 2025 and ACT Book of the Year Award, 2025. She is now a writer, literary festival organiser and librarian. She is also a regular speaker and interviewer and embraces the power of stories to unite and heal.

Qin Qin holds degrees from the ANU, UniMelb and Harvard. She lives in Ngunnawal and Ngambri country, Canberra, with her partner James and dog Oprah. Her life mission is to live consciously, towards a more peaceful and sustainable world.

Book

I wrote the memoir Model Minority Gone Rogue. It's about how an unfulfilled overachiever went way off script.

Stories can both imprison and liberate us. Limiting beliefs about who we are can shackle us to an unfulfilling life. I needed to write the story that set me more free from the constraints of inherited narratives.

Book Cover - Model Minority Gone Rogue

I've been featured in the Griffith Review, PEN Sydney Magazine, The Australian, SBS and other outlets.

“Funny, sharp, sometimes furious, and always eloquent. From a searing analysis of changing Asian stereotypes in the West to personal stories of coming up against ingrained cultural beliefs about the self, meritocracy, and systemic exclusion, this book treads new ground without losing sight of the personal, the hilarious, and the heartbreaking.” — Lorin Clarke, Age Book of the Year judge, writer and director
“Qin Qin is a living example of the adage: screw things up, thoughtfully. With every chapter of her story, she illuminates an alternative model to the corrosive stories we've taken on and been told about what we should be, rather than who we could be. Read this and feel yourself untangle and unknot.” — Benjamin Law, author, journalist and broadcaster
“Model Minority Gone Rogue is about finding yourself against the expectations your parents, society and gender set out for you and courageously venturing into uncharted terrain ... It is illuminating, generous and full of gutsy hard-won wisdom.” — Alice Pung, bestselling author of Unpolished Gem

Buy my book (Aust and Int'l)

Writing highlights include:

View my full list of writing pieces [page forthcoming].

"How do I exit the program of chasing gold stars and being an obedient success machine? It’s through reading, writing and seeking words and stories that nourish and give me hope in becoming more of who I truly am, not what others expect of me. That’s an essential part of growing up and becoming whole."

Speaking

I am an experienced speaker and interviewer. As a storyteller and former teacher, I love engaging audiences with diverse expertise in drawing out answers from others.

I have a regular segment on ABC Radio Canberra, Chinwag with Qin Qin on Afternoons with Alice Matthews.

Speaking Event Photo 1
Opening gala speaker at the Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide for OzAsia Festival — credit: Xplorer Media
“Qin Qin’s talk on embracing your authentic self and improving cross-cultural engagement at our CALD Employee Network Morning Tea was incredibly impactful. Her vulnerability in sharing her own experiences of racism across her life and in the workplace created a safe space and empowered attendees to share and connect with others in the room. We all related deeply to Qin Qin’s personal experiences and couldn’t stop talking about the impact of the talk long after it ended. Qin Qin’s genuine passion and deep understanding encouraged us all to reflect, learn, and take meaningful action. It was a memorable experience for our CALD employees and allies. The techniques she shared on improving cross-cultural engagement resonated with all staff. Qin Qin was a pleasure to work with – passionate, professional, and highly knowledgeable.” — NSW Dept of Education, event organiser
Speaking Event Photo 2
Session chair for the Australia China Youth Dialogue, Beijing.
“Qin Qin was such a great interviewer. She had clearly done the research and preparation for our interview, and every question she had for me was thoughtful and insightful. But she also let our conversation flow and grow organically, responding to me and the audience with flexibility and humour. I would jump at the chance to be interviewed by her again, and I unreservedly recommend her for conversational events to anyone else. From start to finish a professional and a delight.” — Bri Lee, bestselling author
“Qin Qin is a thoroughly engaging writer and speaker. Her thought-provoking themes resonate with the audience and cut through demographic divides. Her warmth brings the audience out of their shell and fosters interesting and respectful discussion. I would wholeheartedly recommend Qin Qin as an A++ speaker.” — Libraries ACT, National Multicultural Festival event

Speaking highlights include:

View my full list of speaking engagements and photos [page forthcoming].

Facilitating / Teaching

I have begun to teach memoir writing. I have also led women's circles, loving-kindness groups, soulcare sessions, and workshops on spiritual nourishment.

In holding different spaces, I draw upon my diverse skillset, a committed long-term meditation practice, and the wide variety of approaches I’ve studied in my own journey (e.g. yogic practices, human development, and trauma recovery). I’m grateful to all my teachers, who include yoga masters, developmental psychologists, and Mother Nature.

Contact Me

Please get in touch to say hello or book me for an event:

For updates and reflections, visit or subscribe to my Substack newsletter.