Event Part I: LiterASIAN Toronto 2025
"Origins"
Leanne Toshiko Simpson is a mixed-race Yonsei writer, educator, and psychiatric survivor from Toronto. She loves writing joyful, messy, laugh-out-loud stories about living with mental illness and the moments of hope that help us get out of bed day after day. Leanne is a graduate of the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Creative Writing program and the University of Guelph’s MFA. She is currently completing an EdD in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. Leanne teaches BIPOC literature and disability arts seminars at Trinity College. Her debut novel, Never Been Better, was released by HarperCollins Canada and Penguin in the U.S. and was named one of CBC's Best Books of 2024.
Wayne Ng was born in Anishinaabe land in what is commonly known as downtown Toronto to Chinese immigrants who fed him a steady diet of bitter melon and kung fu movies. Wayne is a social worker who lives to write, travel, eat, and play, preferably all at the same time. He is an award-winning author and traveller who continues to push his boundaries from the Arctic to the Antarctic. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and goldfish. Ng is the author of Letters From Johnny (winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novella and Ottawa Book Award finalist); Johnny Delivers (recommended by The Globe and Mail and CBC Books); The Family Code (Ottawa Book Award and Guernica Prize finalist).
Mai Nguyen is a Vietnamese Canadian author based in Toronto. Her debut novel, Sunshine Nails—about a Vietnamese family that will stop at nothing to save their ailing nail salon—was longlisted for Canada Reads and selected as one of the best books of 2023 by NPR and CBC. Her second book is scheduled for publication in Spring 2026.
Event Part II: Book Launch Celebration of Infusion: A Ricepaper Anthology
"Infusion Unveiled: Stories from the Asian Canadian Mosaic"
Join us for an afternoon celebrating the launch of Infusion: A Ricepaper Anthology, a powerful collection amplifying the voices of Asian Canadian authors and writers from the Asian diaspora. The event will feature readings by contributing writers Mihan Han, Garry Engkent, Hana Kim, Victoria Sa, Ling Chen, Justin Timbol, and Amardeep Kaur. Their work thoughtfully explores themes of identity, belonging, resilience, and creativity, capturing the rich and diverse experiences of Asian communities in Canada and beyond.
The program will also feature a special reading of My Aunt, a poignant poem by the late Jim Wong-Chu, published posthumously in this anthology. Whether you are a long-time supporter of Ricepaper or encountering these dynamic voices for the first time, this launch promises to be an inspiring celebration of storytelling, culture, and community.