September 8, 2026

LiterASIAN Ottawa Festival 2026 Returns!


Back by popular demand, LiterASIAN is taking place again in Ottawa, bringing together four dynamic voices in Asian Canadian storytelling:

On Monday, September 29, 2026, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, Perfect Books in Ottawa will host From the Margins to the Centre: Asian Writers Reclaim, a special LiterSIAN reading featuring:
  • Leslie Shimotakahara — award-winning author of The Breakwater- explores memory, identity, family histories, and the complexities of Japanese Canadian experiences.
  • Chuqiao Yang — her book of poetry, The Last to the Party, is a finalist for the Ottawa Book Awards.  An emerging voice in contemporary Asian Canadian literature, weaving together themes of migration, belonging, cultural inheritance, and the search for home.
  • Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho — writer and community builder whose work, The Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street, examines diaspora, language, intergenerational connections, and the evolving landscapes of Asian Canadian identity.
  • Moderated by Jamie Chai-Yun Liew — author of Dandelion — the conversation is led by a lawyer and educator whose work bridges literature, social justice, and conversations on migration, equity, and belonging.
Perfect Books, nestled in the heart of Ottawa, provides an intimate space for community engagement and literary exploration, making it the ideal backdrop for an evening of storytelling and connection.
Date & Time: Monday, September 29, 2026 • 7 pm–8:30 pm

Location: Perfect Books, Ottawa [Link]

Format: Short readings, author reflections, and a Q&A to spark meaningful conversations.

Admission: Free (but seating is limited—arrive early to secure a spot).

Rachel Phan: That Asian Girl Is a Problem on October 14, 2026 at VPL


In a world that tells women of colour they are either too much or not enough, what if being a “problem” is actually the point?

Rachel Phan's new book That Asian Girl Is a Problem explores what it means to live as a racialized woman in spaces that were never built for you. Drawing from her own experiences, Phan dives into the contradictions of being the “problem” woman in the workplace, in family, in faith, in marriage and even in her own body, and exposes the absurdity of a society that demands gratitude, silence and smallness from women of colour—and explores what happens when they finally refuse.

Rachel will appear in conversation with award-winning author Liann Zhang.

Rachel Phan is a Chinese Canadian author. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Master of Journalism program, she and her work have been featured on CBC, HuffPost, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Toronto Star, the National Post, Chatelaine, and Maclean’s. Her instant national bestselling book, Restaurant Kid, was named one of CBC Books’ Best Books of 2025 and longlisted for Canada Reads in 2026. She lives in Toronto.

Liann Zhang is an award-winning and internationally bestselling Chinese Canadian author. After a short stint as a skincare content creator, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, won the Libby Award for best thriller, was nominated for an Anthony Award, a Trillium Award, a Barry Award, an ITW Award, a Kobo Award, and was longlisted for Canada Reads. Her work has been translated and published in ten languages. She splits her time between Vancouver and Toronto, where she lives with her two cats, Juice and Bean.

September 2, 2026

Apply to the 2027 Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award



The Asian Canadian Writers Workshop welcomes your submission to the 2027 Jim-Wong Chu Emerging Writers Award for genre: Fiction

JIM WONG-CHU EMERGING WRITERS AWARD

The Award:
Created in 1999 as the Emerging Writers Award and renamed in 2017 to the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award in honour of Asian Canadian writing pioneer and mentor Jim Wong-Chu. The award continues Jim’s lifelong passion for discovering and encouraging writers to develop high-quality manuscripts and promoting their work to established publishing houses.

The first recipient of the award was Rita Wong for Monkeypuzzle. In 2001, Madeleine Thien received the award for her short story collection, Simple Recipes, which led to a two-book deal with publisher McClelland & Stewart.

The Jury is composed of members from the literary and academic community. The winning submission will be awarded a cash prize.

About us:
Founded in 1995, the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) has developed and nurtured generations of Asian Canadian writers, a historically marginalized group in Canada whose stories were rarely documented. Today, ACWW operates Ricepaper Magazine, serving a global audience and supporting local community-building initiatives, such as LiterASIAN: A Festival of Asian Canadian Writing, held in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto, Canada.

Submission Guidelines

Writers are invited to submit their original manuscript for consideration for the award. Details and deadlines are below.

  • Must be Canadian with Pacific Rim Asian heritage.
  • Must not have previously published a book-length manuscript in traditional or digital format (inc. theatre plays, cinematic screenplays, poetry, etc).
  • Must not have been a previous applicant for this award.
  • Submission must be of the Fiction Genre and postmarked by September 30, 2026.
  • The Winner will be announced during LiterASIAN 2027.
  • Please submit manuscripts no longer than 500 pages (12-point font, double-spaced).
  • Three physical print copies of the manuscript will be mailed to the ACWW jury for evaluation.
Instructions
  1. Complete and mail the award application along with a fee of $40 payable to the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop.

    Download application here
  2. Send your application form to submissions@asiancanadianwriters.ca .
  3. Please send payment by cheque or by PayPal: PayPal .

Or a personal cheque to:

Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop
P.O. Box 74174
Centre Point Mall PO
Vancouver, BC
V5T 4E7

Previous Winners
  • Madeleine Thien
  • Rita Wong
  • Philip Huynh
  • Catherine Hernandez
  • Karla Comanda
  • Jamie Liew
  • Jinwoo Park
  • Samantha Jade MacPherson

For queries and media please contact director@asiancanadianwriters.ca

August 10, 2026

“Eating Globally: Chinese Cuisine” at VPL Central Library on Tuesday, September 22, 2026


Authors Cheuk Kwan (Have you Eaten Yet?) and Linda Lau Anusasananan (The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from around the World) reunite to share tales of scouring the world for good eats - and just a taste of home - as they recount stories from Peru, Mauritius, Malaysia, Madagascar and Norway. Kwan and Lau Anusasananan will be in conversation with comedian and actor Ali Hassan (Is There Bacon in Heaven?). Judy Lam Maxwell, culinary-heritage tourism entrepreneur, will lead with introductory remarks.

Speakers

Cheuk Kwan grew up in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. His fifteen-part documentary, Chinese Restaurants (2005), braids his personal experiences with his love of travel and his appreciation for Chinese culture worldwide. Kwan's personal memoir, Have You Eaten Yet? (2002), draws out a global narrative of the Chinese diaspora by linking together personal stories of chefs, entrepreneurs, labourers and dreamers who populate Chinese kitchens worldwide. The book is the 2023 Gold Winner of Taste Canada Awards (Culinary Narrative).

Linda Lau Anusasananan wrote The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from around the World (University of California Press, 2012). The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards named it "Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook of the World 2012.” The book weaves together history, personal stories, and recipes of the Hakka, China's "guest people.” For 34 years, she served as a recipe editor and food writer at Sunset Magazine. She also presents Chinese cooking videos and recipes on the subscription site Grokker.com.

Ali Hassan is a stand-up comedian, author and former chef. He is the host of Laugh Out Loud on CBC Radio, as well as Canada Reads - CBC’s “battle of the books”. In 2023, Ali began touring his latest one-man show based on his decade in the food industry, entitled Does This Taste Funny? His comedic memoir Is There Bacon in Heaven? was described by Rick Mercer as “perhaps the funniest and most heartfelt Canadian memoir yet.”

Judy Lam Maxwell is a culinary-heritage tourism entrepreneur based in Vancouver. She is the owner of Historical Chinatown Tours, which offers guided walking tours and traditional dumpling classes. Ms. Lam Maxwell, who is of mixed Chinese European heritage and has a UBC Master’s degree in History, also specializes in Chinatowns around the world. She is currently on the City of Vancouver Chinatown Advisory Committee and is a City Heritage Commissioner.

August 5, 2026

ACWW Welcomes New President Tāriq Malik

The Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (ACWW) is excited to welcome Tāriq Malik as its new President.

A Vancouver-based writer, poet, and visual artist, Tāriq has spent more than four decades creating powerful work across poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and photography. Born in the Pakistani Punjab, he has a remarkable life journey that spans war, migration, and years in Kuwait before making Canada his home. These experiences have shaped a distinctive literary voice that explores migration, memory, belonging, history, and identity with compassion and originality.

Tāriq is the author of the acclaimed short story collection Rainsongs of Kotli, the novel Chanting Denied Shores, and the poetry collections Exit Wounds and the award-winning Blood of Stone. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The Puritan, Write Magazine, and The Aleph Review. In 2023, he served as Writer-in-Residence at the historic Joy Kogawa House, continuing his longstanding commitment to literary community and mentorship.  

As President, Tāriq brings a deep commitment to amplifying Asian Canadian voices, developing artistic excellence, and strengthening connections across communities.  



August 2, 2026

A Conversation with Suzanne Elki Yoko Hartmann, Keiko Honda and Raymond Nakamura on August 4, 2026


Join writers Suzanne Elki Yoko Hartmann, Keiko Honda and Raymond Nakamura for an evening of conversation and celebration of their shared Japanese heritage.

Toronto-based Hartmann will read from her hybrid memoir The Nail That Sticks Out: Reflections on the Postwar Japanese Canadian Community. The work of creative non-fiction is a next-generation account that explores an evolving community through memories of places, events and traditions. It tackles issues of identity, belonging and racism. Steeped in cultural arts, it includes portraits of family and community members.

The book was nominated for a Heritage Toronto Book Award and been featured on CBC radio, in print and online. Media coverage includes CBC’s 2024 “54 Works of Canadian nonfiction to check out this fall,” Vancouver’s The Bulletin, the Toronto Star, Open Book and Discover Nikkei.

Honda, a scientist and artist, will share readings from her two memoirs — Accidental Blooms (Caitlin Press, 2023) and Hidden Flowers (Heritage House, 2025) — to show how her voice as a writer and her relationship to her Japanese roots have evolved together.

Accidental Blooms was featured on CBC’s list of 46 works of Canadian nonfiction to read in fall 2023, and Hidden Flowers appeared on CBC’s list of 45 Canadian nonfiction books to read in fall 2025 and was awarded third prize in Prose Illustration at the 43rd Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. Her other books include The Broken Map Home (Caitlin Press, 2025), a translation of her late grandfather's wartime memoir. Her fourth book, Words That Last (Caitlin Press), is forthcoming on Sept. 18, 2026.

Following the readings, Nakamura, a cartoonist and educator, will moderate the discussion and question-and-answer session. Meet the authors, enjoy light refreshments and join in the conversation. The event is free but space is limited, so please RSVP here. Books will be available for sale and signing. Thank you for supporting the authors and your local bookstore.

More about the authors:

Suzanne Elki Yoko Hartmann is a Toronto-based editor and writer with an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King’s College. She is the author of a children’s book (My Father’s Nose, KDP, 2016) and the hybrid memoir The Nail That Sticks Out: Reflections on the Postwar Japanese Canadian Community (Dundurn Press, 2024). Her writing reflects her roots as a fourth-generation Japanese Canadian with German ancestry and explores meaningful coincidences, cultural memories and identity.

Keiko Honda is a scientist, writer, community organizer and painter. She holds a PhD in international community health from New York University and had a research career at Columbia University, which was interrupted when she suddenly contracted a rare autoimmune disease that confined her to a wheelchair for life. After moving to Vancouver in 2009, Honda began hosting artist salons, for which she was awarded the City of Vancouver’s Remarkable Women Award in 2014. She founded the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society to bridge generations and cultures through the arts and to offer marginalized communities the opportunity for artistic self-discovery. She teaches at Simon Fraser University.

Raymond K. Nakamura is a writer, cartoonist, and educator in Vancouver, on the unceded, traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. He is the author of the Pyjama Press picture book Peach Girl and posts online comics under the handle @raymondsbrain.


Tuesday, August 4, 5:30 PM - 7 PM
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