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Natalie Lim, a Vancouver-born, Chinese-Canadian poet, won the 2018 CBC poetry prize with her first public poem submission: “Arrhythmia.” This surprise success has encouraged her to continue to explore her heritage and share her work. Lim explains that writing has always been part of her life, but that it was the discovery of spoken word…
Vancouver-based Lindsay Wong’s debut memoir explores her childhood as a Chinese Canadian, as well as her family’s history of mental illness and intergenerational trauma. In the process of the book, Wong discovers catharsis, personal growth, and a heightened understanding of her family, and the nature of mental illness as a whole. “[Writing the book] helped…
Poet, short story writer, novelist, punk rock singer and mother; a series of occupations Yasuko Thanh fills on a day by day basis. Now, with the release of Mistakes to Run With, Yasuko Thanh will add the title of memoirist to the list. On April 3 she will be sharing some of her story at Incite: Forged…
Samra Zafar is an advocate for equity, human rights, women’s rights, diversity and inclusion. She’s also a survivor of violence and abuse, recalling her personal story of resiliency and perseverance in the Good Wife, her memoir of being a child bride and immigrating to Canada with her husband and in-laws. They promised her a better…
When asked what Canadian literature means to her, Shazia Hafiz Ramji, an emerging writer and University of British Columbia (UBC) Creative Writing Masters student, ponders for a moment. “It means so many different things,” she says. This is a main topic Ramji is interested in exploring further as a panelist at a discussion panel entitled Refuse:…
The Central Vancouver Public Library is celebrating works written by and about trans, gender-variant and Two-Spirit people in an engaging group discussion on Dec. 6. The event features writer and performer Kai Cheng Thom with facilitators Molly Billows, Ivan Leonce and jaye simpson in partnership with PeerNetBC, Qmunity and Vancouver Park Board. “After growing up…
What the Poets Are Doing: Canadian Poets in Conversation, a collection of conversations between well-established and budding poets, focuses on the role of poetry and poets in the 21st century. It serves as a follow up to 2002’s interview collection Where the Words Come From. The book launch will be hosted by author Rob Taylor at Vancouver…
Born and raised in Surrey,B.C., Michelle Kim didn’t envision herself writing a book when she was pursuing a career in film. Unable to ignore the little scenes she kept scribbling in notebooks, she finally sat down and took the time to write her first fiction novel, Running Through Sprinklers. Kim, who took inspiration from her film…
As part of the Pick Your Poison: Writers’ Reading Series, author Naomi Steinberg, along with guests, will be reading from her Goosefeather manuscript at The Generative Nest on April 22, May 6, May 20 and June 3. Steinberg, a well-traveled storyteller from Vancouver, took off on an adventure in December of 2014 and never looked back. Fascinated…
As part of the New Legends of Vancouver Author Readings, author Lee Maracle will be reading from her latest book, My Conversations with Canadians, at the Vancouver Public Library (VPL)’s Central Branch on Apr. 22. Written in the Notes application on her iPhone, this collection of prose essays started as a pipe dream for Maracle that…
An empty canvas is a one of great potential. Bead Bai and Home Between Crossings are the first historical novels in an ongoing trilogy being written by Kenyan-born Canadian ethnographer and writer, Sultan Somjee. The writer has spent nearly a decade working on his trilogy, which takes the reader on a journey from the drought-stricken fields of India, shantytowns…
Djamila Ibrahim, launches things are good now, nine fiction short stories that explore the lives of people affected by immigration. Ibrahim emigrated from Ethiopia with her parents and five siblings when she was a teenager. Her experience taught her what it means to “fit into the in-between worlds,” where a person feels connected by place, language…
Vancouver-based authors Brandy Lien Worrall and Elizabeth McLean will appear at the Kensington Branch of the Vancouver Public Library on Nov. 29, 2017 to discuss their respective books What doesn’t Kill Us and The Swallows Uncaged. These titles center on the joys and tragedies that have occurred over the course of Vietnam’s history and both authors…
