October 31, 2013

Media Advisory: Countdown to the literASIAN: A Festival Featuring Pacific Rim Asian Canadian authors

The Vancouver Asian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) is pleased to announce the countdown to its much anticipated inaugural celebration of Pacific Rim Asian Canadian writing set for November 21st to 24th, 2013 in Vancouver, BC. As a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote awareness of Asian Canadian literature, history, and culture, ACWW provide a supportive and culturally sensitive environment for members from a common Pacific Rim Asian Canadian heritage. ACWW also is the publisher of Ricepaper Magazine.

“We are extremely excited for this first ever celebration of Asian Canadian writing in Vancouver,” stated Jim Wong-Chu, festival director. “Over the past three decades, ACWW has helped writers get published and this first ever festival event will highlight the significant depth the Pan-Asian literary voice has added to Canadian literary mosaic. We intend to invite our audience to challenge their own perceptions about what exactly is Asian Canadian writing. Our lineup of authors and topics span many genres, including graphic novels, poetry, science-fiction, humour, and non-fiction.”

Festival Central – The UBC Learning Exchange
The main venue for the festival is the UBC Learning Exchange situated in the middle of Vancouver’s historical Chinatown at 612 Main Street. The UBC Learning Exchange is a community engagement initiative that brings together a wide variety of people, and facilitates connections in the Downtown Eastside between local residents, organizations and the UBC Community. The opening ceremony will be presided by Vancouver’s poet Laureate, Evelyn Lau and will include the introduction of writers, Denise Chong, Terry Woo, Ann Shin, Jamie Chang, Julia Lin, Larry Wong, Chris Cheng and May Yan and graphic novelists, David Wong, Ann Marie Fleming, Laura Ong and Terry Watada.

literASIAN Programming
Book Launches
LiterASIAN will host a series of book launches highlighted by author of the best-selling family memoir, The Concubine’s Children and City of Vancouver Book Prize winner, Denise Chong, who will be launching her new book, Lives of the Families (at VPL Alice Mackay Room); Christopher Cheng’s fantasy novel, Wolf Coven; Ann Shin’s new poetry, The Family China; Terry Watada’s graphic novel, Nikkei Managa-gatari and Laura Ong’s Shanghai Blues.

Workshops
Workshops include David HT Wong’s “Creating a Graphic Novel (fat comic book) to teach and to reach,” Ann Shin’s “Your story or poem as a ‘brand’: Leveraging literature in new media” and Janie Chang’s “The Debut Author and the Business of Mainstream Publishing”, Julia Lin’s “Techniques for Finding the Emotional Core of a Story”, Terry Woo’s “How to Succeed in Writing by Kinda-Sorta Trying”, May Yan’s “How to write your past: Chinese Genealogy Research “, Denise Chong’s “The Writer’s Task: Turning Knowing into Telling” and Terry Watada’s “ Writers Beware: how to avoid scams, vanity press and find happiness as a published author” .

Panel Discussion
“ Storytelling and the Graphic Novel”

The use of graphic in storytelling is gaining more prominence in recent times and deserves a genre of its own in Asian literature. This event, featuring David Wong (Escape from Gold Mountain) Terry Watada (Nikkei Managa-gatari) Ann Marie Fleming (The Magical life of Long Tack Sam) and Laara Ong’s (Shanghai Blues) brings together four individuals who have chosen to tell their stories through different graphic mediums.

Book Fair
This first ever LiterASIAN Asian Canadian Book Fair will bring together the biggest collection of Asian Canadian/Asian North American books, DVDs and collectable memorabilia – new and used. Come to find a rare first edition of book you always wanted but could not find in your bookstore. The highlight of this book fair will be the availability for sale of the recently translated Chinese versions of Denise Chong’s, The Concubine’s Children, Wayson Choy’s, Jade Peony and Disappearing Moon Café, Judy Fong Bates, Midnight at the Dragon Café and Paul Yee’s Ghost Train/Curses of Third Uncle.

Chinatown Tours
Since we are in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, we are adding historical tours by Judy Lam Maxwell (http://chinatowngirl.ca/). Take a break and come learn about Chinatown’s notable history and literary landmarks.

Celebration Dinner
LiterASIAN’s Closing Event Celebration Banquet Dinner , at Pink Pearl Restaurant and is an opportunity for the Asian Canadian literary community and its devoted readers and literary fans to come together to share a meal. The evening will highlight a special Community Builder Award presentation to Brian Lam and Arsenal Pulp Press and a script reading of Banana Boys directed by Rick Tae, the script adaptation features some of Vancouver theatre’s brightest Asian Canadian talent. The event will be presided by Vancouver’s poet Laureate, Evelyn Lau with presentations by award winning author, Madeleine Thien, and former UBC Prizm Magazine and current Ricepaper Magazine editor, Anna Ling Kaye. Also on hand will be many of our favourite authors, Denise Chong, Terry Woo, Ann Shin, Jamie Chang, Julia Lin, Larry Wong, Chris Cheng and May Yan, Ann Marie Fleming, Laura Ong and Terry Watada.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards the re-launching of the ACWW Emerging Writers Award.

Tickets – $50 each. Phone: 604-355-5795 or contact Jim Wong-Chu jwongchu@shaw.ca

literASIAN: A Festival of Pacific Rim Asian Canadian Writing will take place on November 21 to 24, 2013, at the UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main Street in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia Street), and Pink Pearl Restaurant (1132 E Hastings St Vancouver). Close to 1,000 audience members are expected to attend the four-day festival.

Some events are free but require registration or RSVP
The entire program schedule is online at http://literasian.ricepapermagazine.ca

Interviews and photo opportunities are available.
For media inquiries contact Jim Wong-Chu 604-355-5795
Website: www.asiancanadianwriters.ca | www.ricepapermagazine.ca/literASIAN