Fiction & Nonfiction Writer

Born in South Africa during apartheid, Jean Hey is the daughter of a theatre producer and a social worker. Her kindergarten report card noted, “Jean concentrates well during story time,” and it wasn’t long before she started to create her own stories. Her first three-act play was performed on the family’s verandah when she was 12, with a full cast, and received a standing ovation from the neighborhood children. Since moving to America she has explored aspects of race and class in both fiction and personal essays.