Claire Chao

Claire Chao (simplified Chinese: 赵芝洁; traditional Chinese: 趙芝潔; pinyin: Zhào Zhījié; born July 7, 1962 in Hong Kong) is a Chinese-American writer and author. She collaborated with her mother, Isabel Sun Chao, on a family memoir, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels. The idea for a memoir about Sun Chao's childhood in 1930s and 40s Shanghai and ancestors going back to the mid-19th century was sparked by their 2008 visit to the family home.[1]

Claire Chao, 2018

Biography

Chao is the daughter of Shanghai-born Raymond Chao (赵梅溪; 趙梅溪; 1923–2012), an advertising executive, and Isabel Sun Chao (赵孙树莹; 孫樹瑩; born March 21, 1931 in Shanghai), cultural affairs specialist at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong. She attended Kennedy Road Junior School,[2] Island School, and Hong Kong International School. She graduated from Princeton University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Highest Honors, in Art and Archaeology.[3] Chao lives in Honolulu with her husband, John Falzarano, a retired physician.

Chao had focused her senior thesis at Princeton on the Qing dynasty landscape artist Wang Hui and while researching Remembering Shanghai discovered a link to her grandfather, the collector Sun Bosheng (孙伯绳; 孫伯繩). In 2018, during Chao's 35th reunion, the Princeton University Art Museum mounted an exhibition of landscapes by Wang Hui and invited her to speak.[4]

Chao’s maternal uncle, Sun Shufen (孙树棻; 孫樹棻; 1932–2005) was a bestselling author of 55 books in China, including several based on their family, notably a trilogy about his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather: Baofashijia (1995), Fengyuyangchang (1996), and Baizhuzhichong (1997)[5]

Career

Chao spent 30 years working in luxury brand marketing in Asia, including at Hill & Knowlton, where she was Manager in Beijing [6] and Group Manager in Hong Kong (1983-1989);[7] management roles at Tiffany and Co. in Hong Kong [8] and Honolulu, concluding with Regional Vice President—Pacific (1990-1999);[9] and Senior Vice President—North Asia at Burberry Asia Limited (2002-2004). Since 2000, Chao’s Honolulu-based marketing consultancy CHAO, LLC has served clients such as Harry Winston, LVMH and CIRCA.[10]

Chao was named to the Hong Kong Tatler “500 List” of “Who’s Who in Hong Kong” (Hong Kong, 1994, 1995 and 1996), Avenue magazine’s “500 Most Influential Asian Americans” (New York, 1996-1997 and 1997-1998), and the Elite Who’s Who “America’s Outstanding Female Executives” (Palm Bay, FL, 1999-2000).

Remembering Shanghai
Isabel Sun Chao (left) with Claire Chao in Hong Kong, November 2018.

Published in May 2018, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels covers five generations of the Sun family.[11] Themes include intergenerational relationships within affluent Chinese families in the pre-World War II era and the pressures on wealthy families in Shanghai during the Communist rise to power and subsequent victory.[12]

Remembering Shanghai is being adapted into a drama series [1] with producer Corey Tong.[13]

Awards

Independent Author Network OUTSTANDING MEMOIR, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2nd place [14]

Reader Views Literary Awards MEMOIR, GLOBAL AWARD [15]

IPPY Independent Publisher Book Awards BEST FIRST BOOK, BEST E-BOOK DESIGN, COVER DESIGN 2nd place [16]

Eric Hoffer GRAND PRIZE Finalist, FIRST HORIZON AWARD Finalist, CULTURE 2nd place [17]

Next Generation Indie Awards HISTORICAL NON-FICTION Finalist, MEMOIRS Finalist and BEST COVER DESIGN NON-FICTION Finalist [18]

National Indie Excellence Awards BOOK COVER DESIGN NON-FICTION Finalist [19]

Readers' Favorite Award Contest NON-FICTION HISTORICAL 2nd place [20]

Rubery Prize BOOK OF THE YEAR NON-FICTION [21]

Best Book Awards BEST INTERIOR DESIGN Finalist [22]

Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book TOP NOTABLE INDIE [23]

References
  1. McHugh, Fionnuala (December 9, 2017). "Growing up in 1930s Shanghai: Hongkonger's memoir of soirees, school days, a shooting and some Black Swans". South China Morning Post.
  2. Staff writer, Dragon Tales, “Class Notes,” Hong Kong, Hong Kong International School, Winter 2017, retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. Staff writer, “A Bright Future for Claire,” Hongkong Standard, July 7, 1983
  4. May 2018, Princeton University Art Museum, “Gallery Talk: Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels,” PUAM, accessed 17 September 2018.
  5. Wu, Gabriel, February 2012, “The ‘Home Affairs’ of Three Hong Kong-Based Shanghainese Writers,” SOS II, pp 283-286.
  6. (1) “Hill and Knowlton Grows with China,” Asialink, February 1987.
  7. (1) Daswani, Kavita, “Living for the Luxury of a Roof-Top Flat,” Sunday Morning Post, April 2, 1989.
  8. (1) Glain, Steve, “Some in Hong Kong See the Future, and Want It to Work,” International Herald Tribune, October 15, 1990 Townsend, Caroline, “At Home with Claire Chao,” Home Journal, April 1991 Montilla, Dende, “Tiffany Plugs into Corporate Gift-Giving,” Executive, February 1993 “Single Bright Females,” Hong Kong Tatler, June 1993 Wong, Nancy, “A Sea Change,” Sunday Morning Post Magazine, September 5, 1993 Marray, Shelagh, “Power Breakfasts at Tiffany’s,” Eve, November 1993 Arnold, Pauline, “Tops at Tiffany,” Premier, January 1994 Princeton Alumni Weekly, Class Notes, April 6, 1994 Donovan, Roberta, “Queen of Diamonds,” Hong Kong Business, January 1996.
  9. “Hawaii Pacesetters,” Pacific Business News, March 17, 1997 Princeton Alumni Weekly, Class Notes, April 16, 1997 “Diamonds, Naturally,” B magazine, September 1997 “Bishop Street,” Hawaii Business, October 1997.
  10. Pan Tianhui, December 6, 2017, 望族女兒耗時10年 為母留住舊上海大時代回憶 [This daughter spent 10 years capturing her mother’s memories of old Shanghai], Hong Kong Economic Journal, accessed 18 September 2018.
  11. Kason, Susan B., September 18, 2018, “Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao,” Asia Review of Books, accessed 19 September 2018.
  12. Kanagaratnam, Tina, March 5, 2018, “Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels”, Historic Shanghai, accessed 19 September 2018.
  14. "2018 Book of the Year Winners". The Independent Author Network. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  15. "Reader Views 2018-2019 Literary Awards Winners!". Reader Views. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  16. "Independent Publisher". Independent Publisher. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  17. "Eric Hoffer Award". Hoffer Award. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  18. "Indie Book Awards". Indie Book Awards. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  19. "Indie Excellence". Indie Excellence. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  20. "Readers'Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest". Readers' Favorite. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  21. "Rubery Book Award". Rubery Book Award. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  22. "Best Book Awards". American Book Fest. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  23. "Shelf Unbound". Shelf Media. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
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