"The Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop has introduced a generation of writers to the literary world, and this festival sets a stage for both established and new literary talent from a range of genres to share their ideas and stories, as a celebration of their craft," says Allan Cho, festival director. "This festival is inspired by the idea that Asian Canadian is intercultural, intergenerational, and international."
This is the second year that LiterASIAN will be virtually broadcast live across the world. The festival will feature events featuring authors from across North America and the world.
Featured writers at the festival will be Larissa Lai, Grace Eiko Thomson, Sarah Suk, Jackie Lau, Diana Morita Cole, Diana Ng, JF Garrard, Cynda Yeasting, William Tham, Okky Madasari, Melissa De Silva, Danton Remoto, Andria Lo, and Valerie Luu. Book club discussions and panels will feature the Pender Guy Radio Collective, including Ramona Mar, Tommy Tao, Jeannie Young and Paul Yee, and editors from Chinatown Today, Living Hyphen, Tributaries, decomp, and the Literary Circle of Asian Books.
LiterASIAN's opening event will also announce the shortlist of this year's Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award. The Award originated in 1999 to help authors of Pacific Rim Asian heritage be published with an established publishing house. Ottawa author Jamie Liew was the previous winner for her book 'Dandelion', soon to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press.