Shelly Bryant’s story is one of transformation and resilience, a journey that began with words on a page but has grown to encompass something far more powerful—a mission to bridge cultures and foster understanding across the world.
Shelly’s career took off with a groundbreaking translation project in 2012, when her first professional translation was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize. This accomplishment was more than a line on her resume; it was a calling. Translating stories from Chinese to English, Shelly quickly learned that simply knowing the words wasn’t enough. Her clients and readers needed more. To truly capture the essence of one culture and convey it meaningfully to another, Shelly had to dive deeper, far beyond language, to embrace the cultural, historical, and social nuances that give each story its soul.
Despite early successes, Shelly’s journey wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, she felt the weight of imposter syndrome—a foreigner translating the stories of another land, often facing skepticism from native scholars who questioned her ability to truly “get” the culture. Yet, Shelly knew that her strength wasn’t about appearing flawless or fitting a mold. It was her determination to listen, learn, and understand from a place of humility. This mindset allowed her to cultivate a new level of cultural fluency, one that transcended words on a page. She soon found herself standing out not just for her skill in translation but for her gift of making the cultural context come alive.
In 2017, inspired by her work’s impact, Shelly launched her own venture. But she wasn’t just interested in running a translation business. She was driven by a larger mission: to teach others that true cross-cultural understanding requires more than just linguistic fluency; it requires genuine empathy, adaptability, and a commitment to valuing diverse perspectives. She brought together a team, trained emerging translators, and mentored others in the art of cultural intelligence—skills that went beyond traditional translation.
Shelly’s evolution from award-winning translator to thought leader in diversity underscores her belief that stories are powerful tools for change. Today, she channels her expertise into leadership training, consultancy, and public speaking, all centered on bridging divides in an increasingly polarized world. By focusing on the concept of cultural fluency, Shelly is redefining what it means to communicate across boundaries—not just with words, but with an understanding that spans continents and cultures.
Shelly Bryant’s journey is a testament to the idea that while language is a bridge, true connection lies in embracing the differences that make each culture unique. Her mission? To inspire others to see diversity as a strength, build empathy, and foster a world where we can understand one another not just through words, but through shared values and respect.
Shelly Bryant divides her year between Shanghai and Singapore, working as a writer, researcher, and translator. She is the author of eleven volumes of poetry, Cyborg Chimera, Under the Ash, Voices of the Elders, Harps Upon Willows, The Lined Palm, Pine the Passing, Numina, Nymph, Mulciber, Mortals, and Unnatural Selection, a short story collection entitled Launch Pad, and two travel guides, one to the city of Suzhou entitled Suzhou Basics, and another co-authored with Nick Land and Lily Sun, entitled Open Door Guide to Shanghai. Her The Classical Gardens of Shanghai is a part of the RAS Monograph Series, published by Hong Kong University Press.
Shelly has translated Sheng Keyi’s novels Northern Girls, Fields of White, and Wild Fruit for Penguin Books, and Death Fugue for Giramondo Press, Chew Kok Chang’s short story collection Other Cities, Other Lives and You Jin’s A Life in Words, Mum is Where the Heart is, and In Time, Out of Place for Epigram Books, Fan Wen’s Land of Mercy for Rinchen Books, Li Xinfeng’s China in Africa for HSRC, Zhang Ling’s A Single Swallow for Amazon Crossing, and Li Na’s memoir, My Life, for Penguin Books. Her translations of Khoo Seok Wan’s poetry were featured in the exhibition A Life in Poems by the National Library Board in Singapore.
Shelly has also edited a collection of speculative poetry, A Demon in My View (Alban Lake), and a haiku anthology, Equatorial Calm (Celestial Books). Her poetry has appeared in journals, magazines, and websites around the world, as well as in several art exhibitions, including dark ’til dawn, Things Disappear, and Studio White • Exhibition 2011.
Shelly’s translation of Sheng Keyi’s Northern Girls was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012, and her translation of You Jin’s In Time, Out of Place was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2016. She was awarded a Distinguished Alumni award from Oklahoma Christian University in 2017.
Shelly’s poetry collections are available at the Alban Lake website and Math Paper Press.
Shelly Bryant 
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