Marpheen Chann is an award-winning author, writer, thinker, advocate, and speaker on intersectionality, inclusion, and belonging. As a gay, first-generation Asian American born in California to a Cambodian refugee family and later adopted by an evangelical, white working-class family in Maine, Marpheen uses a mix of humor and storytelling to help people view topics such as racism, xenophobia, and homophobia through an intersectional lens. His memoir, Moon in Full, won the bronze IPPY Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction and was a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards and The Eric Hoffer Book Award. He became the first Cambodian American-elected official in Maine in 2021 when he was elected as an At-Large Charter Commissioner for the City of Portland, Maine.

Marpheen Chann lives in Portland, Maine. He works in the nonprofit and advocacy sector as Executive Director and Founder of Khmer Maine and a consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine, a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law, and a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Moon in Full, a contemporary coming-of-age story, shines light on one young man’s search for truth and compassion in a complicated era as it unwinds the deep-seated challenges we all face finding our authentic voice and true identities. Author Marpheen Chann’s heart-warming journey weaves through housing projects and foster homes; into houses of worship and across college campuses; and playing out in working-class Maine where he struggles to find his place. Adopted into in a majority white community, Chann must reconcile his fears and secret longings as a young gay man with the devoutly religious beliefs of his new family. Chann, a second-generation Asian American, recounts what he has learned, what he has lost, and what he has found during his evolution from a hungry refugee’s son to religious youth to advocate for acceptance and equality.

Email: marpheenchann@gmail.com

Phone: (207) 245-2173

Website: www.marpheenchann.com