Sean Gunn, one of the original members of ACWW and lifelong friend of Jim Wong-Chu, reads from hippo luck (for Sid Tan) at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. In 2019, the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (ACWW), Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, UBC Library and Emily Carr University of Art and Design collaborated on an exhibition, Jim Wong-Chu Iconic Asian Canadian, from October 10 to November 15, 2019, on Level 2 of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, located on the UBC Vancouver campus.
August 25, 2024
Sean Gunn's Readings of Jim Wong-Chu's poetry
August 2, 2024
ACWW's "Getting Personal: Memoir" at Word Vancouver 2024
Sponsored by the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (ACWW). Join these acclaimed authors as they share their personal stories taking us through the hardest of times to the joys and celebrations so that we cry, laugh, and cheer with them. es to the joys and celebrations so that we cry, laugh, and cheer with them. This year’s festival will be held on September 28th, 2024 at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC)
Keiko Honda, Accidental Blooms (Caitlin Press) | Tara Sidhoo Fraser, When My Ghost Sings: A Memoir of Stroke, Recovery, and Transformation (Arsenal Pulp Press) | Kagan Goh, Surviving Samsara: A Memoir of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and Mental Illness (Caitlin Press)
Keiko Honda
Keiko Honda is a scientist, writer, community organizer and painter. She holds a PhD in international community health from New York University, but when she suddenly contracted a rare autoimmune disease that confined her to a wheelchair for life, she had to leave her career in research at Columbia University in New York. After moving to Vancouver in 2009, Keiko started hosting artist salons, for which she was awarded the City of Vancouver’s Remarkable Women award in 2014. Shortly thereafter, she founded the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society to bridge generations and cultures through the arts and to offer members of marginalized communities in Vancouver opportunities for artistic self-discovery. She teaches the aesthetics of co-creation in the Liberal Arts and 55+ Program at Simon Fraser University. She lives in Vancouver, BC, and enjoys watercolour painting and hosting her salons.
Tara Sidhoo Fraser
Tara Sidhoo Fraser is a queer writer and creator of South Asian and Scottish ancestry. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in Anthropology, and her work has been published with Autostraddle and Anathema magazine, among others. When My Ghost Sings is her first book. She lives in Vancouver.
Kagan Goh
Originally from Singapore, Kagan Goh is a Vancouver-based Chinese Canadian BIPOC multidisciplinary Mad Artist: award-winning filmmaker, published author, spoken word poet, playwright, actor, mental health advocate and activist. He was diagnosed with manic depression at the age of twenty-three, in 1993. Kagan is a well-known spoken word artist, essayist and poet, a respected and established voice in Vancouver’s literary community for over two decades. He has been invited to perform at readings, festivals and on radio, and has published in numerous anthologies, periodicals, and magazines. In 2012, Select Books in Singapore published his poetic memoir, focused upon his relationship with his esteemed father, Who Let in the Sky? Kagan is also an award-winning filmmaker with a number of releases including the award-winning film: Mind Fuck (1996); Stolen Memories (2012); Breaking the Silence (2015); The Day My Cat Saved My Life (2021); and Common Law (2024). His films have been broadcast on national television and gained entry into respected film festivals around the world. In Kagan Goh’s follow-up memoir, Surviving Samsara, he recounts his struggles with manic depression, breaking the silence around mental illness. Surviving Samsara was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2022 in the creative nonfiction in English category.
Todd Wong (moderator)
Todd is well known for his community activism and contributions to both the literary and Asian Canadian cultural community, as leaders for Historic Joy Kogawa House, Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop and Word Vancouver. But he is not well known as survivors of cancer, depression, and heart failure, although he has shared publicly in the CBC TV documentary The Chan Legacy, and interviews about cancer survivorship. Todd is a longtime library assistant for the Vancouver Public Library. In his spare time he enjoys life by playing his accordion, paddling canoes, paddleboard & dragonboat (retired), drinking whisky, and creating cultural fusion fun through his Gung Haggis Fat Choy events.
September 28th, 2024, from 2.00PM-3.00PM.
UBC Robson Square (800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC) at the Sunroom - Gallery
July 7, 2024
Jinwoo Park’s “Oxford Soju Club” will be published by Dundurn Press in September 2025
ACWW is excited that Jinwoo Park’s “Oxford Soju Club” will be published by Dundurn Press in September 2025.
Jinwoo Park is a Korean Canadian writer based in Montreal. He completed his Master’s in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford. As a Korean-English translator, Jinwoo has received the LTI Korea Translation Award for Aspiring Translators.
In 2020 he won the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers’ Award for his first manuscript, Oxford Soju Club, which will debut in September 2025.
https://www.rcwlitagency.com/authors/jinwoo-park/
Thank you to Marlene Enns, Edwin Lee, and Dr. Trevor Carolan for all your hard work as jurors of this awards committee.
July 2, 2024
C.E. Gatchalian: Falling in Time, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 7:00pm, VPL Central Library
A major critical and commercial success when it premiered in Vancouver in 2011 C. E. Gatchalian’s Falling in Time is an epic exploration of armed conflict, masculinity, sexuality, love, and forgiveness. Originally published in 2012, C.E. is currently rewriting the work in a 2024 context. Come join us for a reading of this updated classic as well as a conversation about the creative process, what makes an artist revisit a completed work, and writing in multiple languages.
C.E. will be in conversation with his collaborator, playwright and actress Maki Yi to discuss the work they did together on Falling In Time. They will be joined by singer, actor and playwright Argel Monte de Ramos for what is sure to be an illuminating and inspiring conversation about the artistic process.
C.E. Gatchalian’s appearance is made possible by the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 7:00pm, VPL Central Library
June 28, 2024
Filipino Canadian Book Festival 2024
Join us in celebration of the inaugural Filipino-Canadian Book Festival July 12-14th 2024 in partnership with Massy Books, Filipix Pages and Sampaguita Press and guest Keynote Catherine Hernandez. All workshops, performances, outdoor programming, and the market are free of charge! Tickets are available for panels online or in person.
*This event was made possible with the support of Collingwood Neighbourhood House and Collingwood Days Festival 2024
If payment to attend any one of the panels is a barrier, or if you’d like to purchase an all day pass, please email info@massyarts.com.
*Please note this Festival will be held at TWO Locations Collingwood Neighbourhood House (access via the courtyard at 5518 Ormidale St.) & Massy Arts Gallery, please see details below:
FRIDAY July 12th (4:00-8:00pm) @ Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex, Multipurpose Room 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver
SATURDAY July 13th (9:00am-7:30pm) held at Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex, Multipurpose Room 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver
SUNDAY July 14th (10:00am-3:30pm) held at Massy Arts Gallery, 23 East Pender Vancouver BC. In the MING WO building in Chinatown.
FRIDAY, JULY 12th SCHEDULE 4:00pm-8:00pm
Collingwood Neighborhood House Annex
Multipurpose Room, 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver (access via the courtyard at 5518 Ormidale St.)
4:00 Welcome & Opening Ceremony: with Knowledge Keeper Audrey Siegl
4:30 Youth-Led Event: Join us for an inspiring evening at the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival’s Youth-Led Event: Voices of the Future. This event is dedicated to showcasing the incredible work and creativity of Filipinx youth, providing them with a platform to share their wisdom, collective power, and their talents.
6:10-8:15 Magdaragat Open Mic: Author Meet & Greet / Book Signing Come join us for a reading night featuring authors from “Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing.” and celebrate the authors that appear in this landmark anthology!
8:00-8:15 Informal Closing for the Day
//SATURDAY, JULY 13th SCHEDULE 9:00am-7:30pm//
Collingwood Neighborhood House Annex,
Multipurpose Room, 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver (access via the courtyard at 5518 Ormidale St.)
11:30-12:40 World-building and Cultural Research for Storytelling: Join us for this insightful author panel on creating immersive worlds, grounding them in reality, and ensuring cultural sensitivity while introducing innovative elements. Key topics of discussion will include the process of building intricate and believable worlds; balancing imaginative elements with real-world influences; approaching cultural research with sensitivity and respect; and introducing novel concepts and ideas in storytelling. Tessa Barbosa Samantha Garner Roselle Lim K.S. Villoso Moderator: Nathalie De Los Santos
12:45-1:55 Writing Between the Lines: Join us for an enlightening conversation exploring the intricacies of cross-genre writing, how cultural identity influences storytelling, and the challenges and rewards of blending different literary forms. Our esteemed panellists will discuss the creative process behind their multifaceted narratives; the ways in which cultural heritage shapes their stories; and the balancing of multiple genres to create unique and compelling works. Christine Añonuevo Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio C.E. Gatchalian Vincent Ternida
2:00-3:10 The Poetry Prism: Shaping Realities Join our panel of poets as we try to hold poetry to the light and see what colours it makes. We’ll discuss how language shapes and sustains our attention to outer and inner worlds; the necessary failure of translation; and the ways poetry allows us to reckon with the depths of humanity and give music to the mess of living. Hari Alluri Sol Diana Therese Estacion Phebe M. Ferrer Marc Perez
3:15-4:25 Makibaka! Maging alamat! On Writing Revolution: What, if anything, is a writer’s obligation to the world? What does it take to stay brave and human in the face of the simultaneous wars currently waged on the Global South, the Third World, and Black and Brown peoples who share histories of colonization? What are the ways we can activate our art towards liberation? What uplifts a piece of writing to be revolutionary? Join our panel of writers across diverse genres and interests as we discuss these questions in relation to the struggles of our times—water is life, land back, ceasefire, and end to all genocide! Jim Agapito Hari Alluri Rina Garcia Chua Kawika Guillermo / Chris Patterson Catherine Hernandez
4:30-5:40 Playwriting and Publishing Are you a writer interested in playwriting or writing for stage? Have a question how certain plays are published and some aren’t? Join a panel of playwrights and theatre artists who are creating new BC Fil-Can works right now, and are willing to share with you the world of professional play and performance development. Davey Calderon Karla Comanda Kamila Sediego Carmela Sison Moderator: Lissa Neptuno + Author Book Signings with all panelists
4:30-5:55 Keynote: Catherine Hernandez Join us for a special evening at the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival as we welcome acclaimed author Catherine Hernandez for an inspiring keynote address. This event will be a highlight of the festival, celebrating the incredible contributions of Catherine Hernandez to literature and the arts. In recognition of her outstanding achievements and impact on the literary community, we are honored to present Catherine Hernandez with the prestigious CanDila Award. This award celebrates excellence in storytelling and acknowledges her dedication to amplifying diverse voices through her work. This event is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable talent and to be inspired by Catherine Hernandez’s insights and experiences. Join us for an unforgettable evening of recognition and inspiration.
//SUNDAY, JULY 14th SCHEDULE 10:00am-3:30pm//
Massy Arts Gallery 23 East Pender Street, Vancouver (MING WO BUILDING)
Venue & Accesibility:
The event will be hosted at the Massy Arts Gallery, at 23 East Pender Street in Chinatown, Vancouver. We are located in the former MING WO building.
The gallery is wheelchair accessible and a gender-neutral washroom is on-site.
Please refrain from wearing scents or heavy perfumes.
For more on accessibility including parking, seating, venue measurements and floor plan, and how to request ASL interpretation please visit: massyarts.com/accessibility
Covid Protocols: Masks keep our community safe and are mandatory (N95 masks are recommended as they offer the best protection). We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.
10:30-12:10 Festival Last Day Opening and Hybrid Panel: Salaysay and FCBF Cross-Coast Talk Join us for an exciting and unique collaboration between Salaysay, the esteemed East Coast literary festival, and the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival (FCBF). This special panel, Salaysay and FCBF Cross-Coast Talk, brings together talented authors from both coasts for an engaging discussion on their literary journeys, cultural experiences, and the art of storytelling.
12:15-1:10 Interactive Workshop: Map of Wholeness Join us for the Map of Wholeness workshop at the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival, an enriching session that links discussions between the Canadian diaspora and the Philippines. This workshop is a unique opportunity to explore the concept of home across different parts of the world, featuring insightful contributions from featured guests.
1:15-3:00 Community Open Mic and Post Open-Mic Meet & Greet
3:00-3:30 Festival Closing Ceremony with Knowledge Keeper Audrey Siegl
Purchase Tickets here
June 26, 2024
2024 Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Recognition Award winner Allan Cho
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