Anthologist, Author, Editor

Born in the Philippines, Jacqueline Chio-Lauri has lived in seven far-flung places, including England, where she now resides. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of strolling home from the city's panaderia (bakery) at the crack of dawn—she, munching warm, freshly baked pandesal, and her lola (grandma), regaling her with fascinating stories. 

Jacqueline is passionate about seeing more books from diverse perspectives so that all children can read about characters who are both like and unlike themselves.

She writes stories for young readers that celebrate food, faith, and Filipino culture. Her debut picture book, Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and a Perfect Bowl of Soup (2024), is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her second picture book, Hunger Fighter: The Story of Maria Orosa, the Filipino War Hero Who Invented Banana Ketchup, is forthcoming in spring 2027, followed by From Up Above in 2028.

Before writing for children, Jacqueline created two celebrated cookbooks. Her first, The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Around the Globe, was highly acclaimed. Her second, We Cook Filipino: Heart-Healthy Recipes and Inspiring Stories from 36 Filipino Food Personalities and Award-Winning Chefs, won Best in the World at the 29th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Jacqueline's essays have appeared in anthologies such as Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Inner Strength. Her award-winning memoir, "Good for One," was published in Tales of Our Lives: Fork in the Road, an anthology recognized by the New England, Los Angeles, and Great Northwest Book Festivals.

Her work has been featured by CNN, NBC, Well+Good, The Huffington Post, and Epicurious. She was one of five young professional women featured in Emirates Woman magazine's special report, "Why the Future Is Female." In 2019, Metro.Style named her one of the "20(Filipino) Global Culinary Stars You Should Know," and in 2023, the Asian Leadership Collective recognized her as one of the "5 East and South East Asian Women to Watch."

In collaboration with Dr. Youssef Roman and colleagues, Jacqueline co-authored the academic paper, Health Disparities of Cardiometabolic Disorders Among Filipino Americans: Implications for Health Equity and Community-Based Genetic Research. 

Jacqueline holds a bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from the University of the Philippines and has earned multiple MBA-level Executive Certificates in Marketing and Business Strategy from Cornell University. Over the years, she has worn many hats: science scholar, restaurateur, teacher, sales and marketing consultant, copywriter, editor, anthologist, and author.

Above all, she is a mom.