Forgiveness: From Novel to the Stage

What does it take to understand another person’s work and translate all the subtleties into another format? Join acclaimed playwright Hiro Kanagawa and award-winning author Mark Sakamoto as they discuss the process of bringing the written word to life on-stage, and successfully depicting the fragile complexities of finding forgiveness.

Hybrid events are held in person, you will also be able to watch it live streamed from our Youtube channel.

Location: Theatre, UBC Robson Square

Sponsored by Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop and Historic Joy Kogawa House

Readers: Hiro Kanagawa, Forgiveness (Playwrights Canada Press) | Mark Sakamoto, Forgiveness (HarperCollins)

About The Readers

Hiro Kanagawa is a Vancouver-based actor and writer. He is best-known for his guest appearances and recurring roles on popular television and streaming series such as Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Doctor, Altered Carbon, The X-Files, iZombie, The Man in the High Castle and many more. Also a sought-after script doctor and consultant, he was the story editor on several critically-acclaimed Canadian television series: Da Vinci’s Inquest, Da Vinci’s City Hall, Intelligence and Blackstone. His full-length plays The Tiger of Malaya and The Patron Saint of Stanley Park have been performed across Canada as have many of his shorter works. He received the 2017 Governor-General’s Literary Award for Drama for his play, Indian Arm. His latest play, an adaptation of Mark Sakamoto’s best-selling memoir, Forgiveness, premiered in January 2023 in an Arts Club Theatre / Theatre Calgary co-production directed by acclaimed Japanese Canadian director Stafford Arima.

Mark Sakamoto is an entrepreneur and investor in digital health and digital media and is the executive vice-president of Think Research, a global digital-health company. His first book, Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents, debuted as a #1 national bestseller and went on to win CBC Canada Reads in 2018. The book is being developed into a feature film and has been theatrically staged by Vancouver's Arts Club Theatre Company and Theatre Calgary. A frequent television presence, Mark was the host and executive producer of Good People, a documentary series that explored humanity's biggest problems and was co-produced by Vice Media and the CBC. He sits on the Giller Foundation's board of directors. Mark Sakamoto lives in Toronto and Prince Edward County with his wife and their two daughters.