After a childhood in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, Karien van Ditzhuijzen moved to Singapore in 2012. Karien has a degree in Chemical Engineering, but gave up her career developing ice cream recipes to become a writer and has since written and edited half a dozen books and short stories, including in 2018 her debut novel ‘A Yellow House’, published by Monsoon Books. Soon after arriving in Singapore, Karien joined Singaporean charity HOME to support domestic workers staying at their shelter and she founded the MyVoice blog, a place for migrant workers to share their stories. ‘The Black and White House’ was inspired by her own colonial house at Adam Park in Singapore, which has an illustrious history.
