Pichchenda Bao

Pichchenda Bao (she/her) is a Cambodian American poet and writer. She was born in Cambodia, in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge regime. She and her parents arrived as refugees to the United States. She grew up in northern Virginia, and now lives, writes and raises her children in New York City.

Her work speaks to the interwoven nature of grief, resilience, historical and generational trauma, and the everyday. Her poetry and prose have appeared in numerous print and online literary journals.

In addition, her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, made into limited-edition broadsides by the Center for Book Arts, part of a video poem of Queensbound poets commissioned by the Queens Museum, and part of THREADS, an artistic collaboration between Poets of Queens and international textile artists.

Her honors include a poetry fellowship from Kundiman, a poetry residency from Bethany Arts Community, a New Works grant from Queens Council on the Arts, and an emerging writer fellowship from Aspen Words.