Winnie M Li

Winnie M Li is an American writer, novelist and activist.

Li's first novel, Dark Chapter, released in 2017, was based on her own experience of a stranger rape in 2008. Her second novel, Complicit, was published in 2022.

Early life and education
Winnie Li was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Taiwanese immigrants. Her family lived in Pennsylvania before settling in Wayne, New Jersey. After graduating from high school, she attended Harvard University where she majored in Folklore and Mythology. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard, she moved to Cork, Ireland, to pursue an MA in English at National University of Ireland, Cork. In 2000 Li was selected in the inaugural class of George Mitchell Scholars.

Rape
In April 2008 Li was raped by a 15-year-old boy in Colin Glen Forest Park in Belfast. Li was in Belfast to attend a conference to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Northern Ireland peace process. Li suffered 39 separate injuries from the assault. The case caused outcry in Belfast and received national media attention. A community vigil was held in the park a week after the assault. The perpetrator was arrested and ultimately convicted.

Writing and activism
In the aftermath of the assault Li began writing about her experience. Li contributed an essay about her assault to the book Sushi and Tapas in 2011. Li wrote several articles for the Huffington Post starting in 2014 on her assault and broader themes of sexual violence. In 2015 Li co-founded the Clear Lines Festival, addressing themes of sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. Li regularly appears on BBC and Sky News commenting on themes of sexual abuse and violence. Li has also had featured interviews in The Guardian, The Times, The Irish Times, The Irish Examiner, The LA Review of Books and Ms Magazine. In 2018, Li received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland for her contribution to the arts in the advocacy of women's rights.

Li's writings have appeared in a variety of magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, The Times, The Mail on Sunday, The Stylist, The Huffington Post and Grazia.

Dark Chapter (2017)
In 2017 Li published her first novel Dark Chapter, a fictionalised account of the rape written from the perspective of both the victim and perpetrator. The book won the Guardian newspaper's Not the Booker Prize in 2017. Dark Chapter was also nominated for The Edgar Award for best first novel and shortlisted for The Authors' Club Best first novel award. The book has been translated into ten languages. Northern Ireland Screen awarded development funding for a feature film adaptation of Dark Chapter, with Li writing the screenplay.

Complicit
Li's second novel Complicit was inspired by the MeToo movement and the investigation into predators like Harvey Weinstein's in the film industry. She also drew upon her experience as a former film producer in writing the novel. World rights to the book were sold in a 48-hour pre-empt to Orion Publishing Group, and US rights were contested in a five-way auction, with Emily Bestler at Atria Publishing Group ultimately winning. Complicit was published in Summer 2022. It was selected by The New York Times for their 'Group Text' monthly book club. It also earned positive reviews from The Guardian, The Times, The Irish Times, The Daily Mail, and The Belfast Telegraph. Li was interviewed by Mariella Frostrup at Times Radio, Ryan Tubridy at RTE Radio 1, and on the PBS TV show Story in the Public Square. Complicit appeared on the "Best Crime Novels of 2022" list by The Irish Times and CrimeReads, and "Best Books of 2022" lists by Grazia and Glamour magazines.

The audiobook version of Complicit was recorded by actor Katie Leung.