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.

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, 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. 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.

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)

Chao spent 30 years working in luxury brand marketing in Asia, including at Hill & Knowlton, where she was Manager in Beijingand Group Manager in Hong Kong (1983-1989); management roles at Tiffany and Co. in Hong Kongand Honolulu, concluding with Regional Vice President—Pacific (1990-1999); 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.

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).

Published in May 2018, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels covers five generations of the Sun family. 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.

Remembering Shanghai is being adapted into a drama serieswith producer Corey Tong.

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

Reader Views Literary Awards MEMOIR, GLOBAL AWARD

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

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

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

National Indie Excellence Awards BOOK COVER DESIGN NON-FICTION Finalist

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

Rubery Prize BOOK OF THE YEAR NON-FICTION

Best Book Awards BEST INTERIOR DESIGN Finalist

Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book TOP NOTABLE INDIE